


The Way We Grow

by NyoomWrites



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged Up, Alpha - Freeform, Alpha Eric Cartman, Bongs, Boundaries, College AU, F/F, F/M, Ganja - Freeform, Light self hate, M/M, Omega Kyle Broflovski, Omegaverse, Pheromones, Smoking, Therapy, Weed, beta, heat - Freeform, kyle does not deal with his second gender well xwx, omega - Freeform, self love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27394699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyoomWrites/pseuds/NyoomWrites
Summary: “Come on! I could’ve crushed that beta jew!”Beta. Yeah.He rubbed his stomach subconsciously, where his growing uterus lay.He just wanted to get his gear and put it in his car before school started, was that too much to ask?Apparently fucking so, said the universe, as it placed Eric Fucking Cartman right in the hall outside the gym on the first day back to school. What a hilarious prank, what an awesome joke.It was almost as hilarious as making Eric Fucking Cartman an alpha and him an omega.*Tags will change as the story progresses!*
Relationships: Kyle Broflovski/Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh/Wendy Testaburger
Comments: 61
Kudos: 193





	1. Flashbacks

_10 Years Old_

“You guys! Oh my god- you guys you’ll never believe this!” 

Kyle felt his stomach churn at the nasally voice that reached his ears and heard Stan sigh through his nose as Cartman heaved himself towards the three boys standing at their usual bus stop. 

“What, Cartman?” Kyle asked dryly, making bets in his mind on whether the next thing to come out of the boys mouth was an insult, a brag or a plan to make fast cash. Today he was betting on a brag. 

“You guys!” Cartman panted quickly as he pushed himself between Stan and Kyle looking between them and Kenny with an ecstatic expression. “I went to the doctor yesterday and you’ll never guess what happened.” He looked at them, waiting for a question of interest. After a few seconds Stan sighed again and decided to throw the fat boy a bone, mimicking Kyle's question. 

“What Cartman?” 

“You know how like, you’re not supposed to start showing signs of your second gender until you turn thirteen?” He looked around at them and Kyle’s brows furrowed as he realized what he was getting at. “Well yesterday my mom took me to the doctor- _finally-_ and they gave me this doll that smelled weird and they let me play with it for a while and when they took it back they told me what I am.” 

“What? No way!” Kyle exclaimed and Cartman turned to him in a flash, brow furrowing instantly at his doubt. 

“Uh- yeah way, you dumb Jew!” 

“It’s that easy?” Kyle raised a suspicious brow. “They just watch you play with a doll? You play with dolls all the time, couldn’t your mom have just figured it out?” 

“It’s not that simple _Kahl!_ The doll smelled weird! And as if I’d trust my mom to tell me something as important as my second gender!” 

Kyle admitted that made sense, but he kept it to himself. 

“If it really is that easy maybe _I_ should go get tested,” Stan said and Kenny muffled an agreement through his jacket.

“Maybe we all should,” Kyle agreed, but Cartman scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

“Well, it’s not _that_ easy. My mom only took me ‘cause I like, freaked out the other night at one of her boyfriends or whatever.” Cartman rolled his eyes as he spoke before looking off into the distance to where the bus was coming. 

“She probably took you to the doctor to get all the fat sucked out and they just _happened_ to find out your gender,” Kyle jabbed and laughed at his own words through Cartman’s shriek of rage. 

“ _Ay!_ You can’t say that, I’m an _alpha!_ ” 

“Just 'cause you’re an alpha doesn’t mean you’re not fat.” Kenny and Stan laughed as Cartman’s face bloomed red with anger but the brunets words wiped the smirk off Kyle's face as he turned to climb onto the bus.

Cartman was totally going to hold this over his head for the rest of his life unless he was an alpha too. 

~~0~~

_13 Years Old_

“It looks like your son is an Omega, Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski.” 

Kyle felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped on his head. 

“Oh bubbala! Did you hear that?” His strawberry haired mother hugged his shoulders and started pecking his head with kisses. He barely felt them. 

“You really do take after your mother, son!” His father hugged him and his mother together, one hand gripping his right shoulder proudly. 

But being surrounded by all this positivity made no difference to the confusion and dread building in his gut. “What? An omega?” He stared up at the smiling beta doctor pleadingly. “Are you sure?” 

“One hundred percent. The doll test results were unclear but the physical exam showed solid proof of a uterus and glands for omegan pheromones.” 

“Oh, my baby is growing up so fast!” His mother hugged him tighter but it wasn’t her that was making it hard for him to breathe. 

An omega. A fucking omega. 

Two days ago he had been excited to get tested and shove his alpha status in Cartman’s face so he would just _shut up_ about his own second gender already. _Three_ _fucking_ _years_ the fatass had been shoving it in his face and acting all high and mighty as though being an alpha had given him some authority over everyone else, even the other alpha kids that started popping up like daises! Kyle had prayed and hoped and _prayed_ some more to whoever the hell was listening- even Satan!- that he would be an alpha to make the torment and annoying jabbering just cease finally. 

But one sentence, just a dozen words, had destroyed those years of prayers and hopes. 

What had he done wrong? What was he _supposed_ to do with the doll? When they gave him a doll, like they had with Cartman all that time ago, it… didn’t smell like anything, nothing strange at all! He tried playing with it but it seemed like such a kid thing to do now that he was in the 8th grade. He wasn’t interested in the doll all that much, so he just started talking to it and when the time was up he gave it back without a fuss. 

But ultimately it didn’t matter, did it? He had a uterus. He could… get pregnant...

He was an omega. 

~~~~~

Kyle trudged up to the bus stop with tired green eyes. He’d only gotten about four hours of sleep since the news yesterday. 

“Hey dude!” Stan greeted, making Kyle’s eyes lift for the first time since he’d walked out the front door. 

Stan was an alpha too, and it was starting to show. He was already half an inch taller than Kyle and Cartman, though Kenny’s height was quick to contest.

Stan had gotten his test done about two years after Cartman, even though they all wanted to do it right away. The Marsh’s had waited because he wasn’t behaving any differently and hadn’t even started puberty yet. But, eventually, they thought it was time and Stan was dubbed the next alpha in their quartet. Kenny’s parents couldn’t afford a test so his second gender was still up in the air, but his height was a dead give away that he was most likely an alpha as well and it had given Kyle hope, false hope ultimately, that they were all drawn together and were friends because they were _all_ alphas. 

_No point dwelling on past hopes,_ he guessed. 

“So? How was it?” He asked, smile a little crooked. He had been just as hyped to find out the news so that he could stop defending him from Cartman, but he must’ve been worried when he didn’t get a notification from Kyle immediately after his appointment. 

“Dude…” Kyle didn’t want to say it. He turned his darkened green eyes back down to the snowy ground and just stood, the cold air feeling all the more colder today. He didn't say anything, he couldn't around the lump in his throat. 

“...No way.” Stan sounded shocked, but he couldn't look up to see it on his face. 

“I don’t know what I did wrong! What did I do to deserve this?” His lips trembled as he was genuinely upset and Stan pulled him in for a hug which he easily leaned into. 

“An omega? Are you sure?”

“Ask my _uterus_ ,” Kyle mumbled into his shoulder and Stan stiffened but rubbed his back tenderly. Kyle had left a few minutes earlier so he could tell Stan alone, but he knew the other half of his friend group would be there shortly so he broke the hug and rubbed his soft green gloves over his face with a sigh. 

“What are you going to do?” Stan asked and Kyle groaned. 

“Not tell Cartman! Obviously!” 

“Yeah but- I mean, he _knew_ you were going- we all did! What are you going to _say?_ ” 

“That I’m a beta.” He had stayed up until 3am coming up with a plan for his future. If Stan didn’t think he was ready to pretend he was a beta for as long as he possibly could, he didn’t know him that well. 

But he _did_ know him that well. 

“Alright. I promise I’ll keep it a secret. But wait- won’t he know as soon as he smells you?” 

“Well that’s the other thing…” 

_Kyle stared down at the tiles of the examination room with growing panic. He would have to avoid Cartman like the plague- but ultimately there was no way he could! If he_ could _he would have already, wouldn’t he? Cartman was everywhere. He sat next to him in every class, he was there at lunch, outside of school, during summer vacation- maybe he could convince his parents to move again! They could go to Idaho or Winsconsin or all the way to the corner of the U.S. in Maine!_

_But if life had proven anything it was that he couldn’t escape Cartman. He couldn’t. He would have to accept his fate…_

_“However it’s not all good news.” The Broflovski’s paused in basking their near lifeless son with praise to look up at the doctor with confusion. “You see, the doll results were unclear because he did not react at all to it as we expected him to.” Kyle’s head was ringing with adrenaline and questions while the doctor continued. “We did a few extra tests, as you know, and found that his glands haven’t started producing any pheromones. Also the uterus is very small at the moment, usually omegas are tested for their second gender because it is fully grown and they start noticing other pheromones as well as their own and they become very sensitive but it looks like he’s going to be a late bloomer. At the stage he’s in currently, I suspect it will take another few years at_ least _until ithe uterus is fully grown and another few after that until he will be aware of other pheromones.”_

_Not producing pheromones...? Another few years? Wait-_

_“So I don’t- I don't have a scent? No one can tell I’m an omega?” Kyle asked eagerly and the doctor nodded solemnly._

_“I’m afraid so.”_

“Apparently I’m a late bloomer. I mean, smell!” He held his wrist up to Stan and the boy sniffed. 

“I don’t smell anything.” 

“Exactly! And betas have a really _weak_ scent right?” His friend nodded, face contorting in thought. “So I’ll just go pick a perfume or something and spray it on and say I’m a beta. I was up almost all night planning it out.” 

“Seriously? Dude that’s genius!” Stan smiled big and bright at him and Kyle felt a small smile pull at his own lips, the first he’d had the whole weekend. 

“But listen Stan, you and I are the only ones that know I’m an omega besides my family and I’ve made them swear not to tell anyone without my permission and definitely not talk about it if Cartman is around. I really need your help convincing everyone.” 

“But dude, eventually you’ll have to tell people.” 

“I know… but you know what it's like between alphas and omegas. I can’t imagine what Cartman would do or say if he found out.” 

“It’s not a weakness Kyle,” Stan argued, and he was right. 

“I know… I _know_ but…” Kyle couldn’t argue. He was _right_. But Cartman knowing… just thinking about all the possible results spurred from the alpha knowing had the bags under his eyes feeling heavier. 

Stan pat his shoulder supportively and when Kyle looked up his friend's expression was soft but stern. He understood but he wasn't happy about it. 

“Alright. I’ve got your back. Always. Super best friends for life?” He held out a fist and Kyle bumped it, smiling. 

“Super best friends for life.” 

“You two are sooooo gaaaaayy!” That voice that usually annoyed Kyle to no end now made him freeze up in something he refused to call fear. Shock maybe? Surprise? Yeah, surprise. 

Cartman walked up with Kenny in tow, the blonde standing about an inch above the brunet and waving at them with tired but smiling eyes, orange hoodie still tugged up over his face as always. Cartman’s face was twisted in a scowl and Stan returned it with his own as they found their perch next to the two standing at the bus stop. 

“Good to see you too fatass.” 

“ _Ay!_ One day I’ll be hotter than all of you, just watch! My dad was a football player!” 

“And yet I still look down at you," Stan replied but Cartman just stuck out his tongue at him childishly. Stan rolled his eyes in response. "When are you gonna give up that fantasy?” 

“When he dies of diabetes,” Kyle supplied and faked a snicker that Stan shared genuinely. They were really laying the fat jokes on thick today, but Cartman seemed to shrug off Kyle’s words without a care. 

“You’ll see. But anyway, I believe there’s a bigger piece of news meant to be shared, isn’t that right _Kahl?_ ” 

Kyle glanced over at Cartman and when their eyes locked it was like the brunet already knew and was just _begging_ him to tell him the truth. 

As if it would be that easy. 

Kyle rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Yeah, I guess. You guys…” He looked up at Stan who looked at him with fake interest, at Kenny who’s expression was barely readable behind his jacket collar and then at Cartman’s sharp, bi-colored gaze. 

“I’m a beta.” 

~~0~~

_16 Years Old_

He quit the basketball team. 

Nobody could say he didn’t try because he did. Nobody could say that he sucked because he didn’t. He knew as the years passed he would eventually be known as an omega and all the alphas on his team would look down on him, both figuratively and literally, because he was an omega and they would all grow a foot taller than him, making him obsolete. 

He played as long as he could because he genuinely loved the sport, but eventually they all were too tall for him and he began feeling small and skinny and useless so he quit under the guise that he wanted to delve into advanced classes and graduate the next year if possible, which was also true. A natural end to a good hobby. 

He just wished Cartman wasn’t such a _dick_ about it. 

“I fucking told you guys didn’t I? I told you right from the start!” 

Kyle hated the fact that he now had to look up at nearly all his friends, the tall bastards. But he _especially_ hated that over the summer he had spent getting extra college credits and playing ball as much as possible (before he knew he would quit) Cartman had gone through his predetermined growth spurt and Kyle now had to look up at the bastard when he came back to school. He didn’t want to blame his mother for his short height but who _else_ could he blame? They were both short, they had the same hair color, they had almost the same nose, the same glare and the same fucking _second gender_. He was basically a skinny male version of her. Maybe he could blame his dad for barely giving him anything else to work with. 

But, realistically, there was no one to blame. Cartman was ultimately right about growing into his body and getting a growth spurt thanks to his testosterone ladled body and his football player dad… who he killed. 

“What did I say? I said I’d be hotter than all of you, just you wait! Well here we are, Kahl! An apology would be very much appreciated.” 

Forest green orbs burned into mixed brown and blue, eagerly awaiting a fight. 

But he had just quit the team and was too bummed to fight this asshole. 

“Congratulations Cartman, you’re tall.” Kyle shrugged his full duffle bag further up his shoulder and breezed passed the tall fuck heading for the front doors of the school. He made a choked noise as the back of his shirt was pulled back, throwing him off balance and causing him to fall back on Cartman’s chest but he was off it in a flash, whipping around and glaring furiously up at the scowling teen. 

“I said I’d like an _apology,_ not a commendation!” 

“It’s amazing you even know that word.” 

Cartman’s narrow brows furrowed, puzzled anger in his mismatched eyes. “The hell is your problem?” He asked and Kyle's face skewed with disbelief and annoyance. Was he seriously asking that when _he_ was the one trying to start a fight? _Again?_ Before he could explain that he was just walking through the hall like a normal person and _Cartman_ was the one with the problem for getting all up in his face, a new voice broke into the conversation. 

“He just quit the team, jackass.” The two glaring teens turned their stares to Stan, Kenny and Wendy walking down the hall, Stan’s arm wrapped languidly around Wendy’s side. Eric was now just as tall as Stan and Kenny who were half a foot taller than the redhead they looked down upon but Wendy, who was also an alpha, was just as tall as him which made him feel a little better. Maybe it was just male alphas that sprouted into trees. 

“The basketball team?” Cartman asked, looking back to Kyle who sighed. 

“Yeah, I won’t have time for basketball this year. I’m hoping to graduate early next year by taking all the hard classes you guys avoid.” 

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from top of the class,” Stan supplied with a supportive smile and Kyle returned it, though it didn’t last long. 

“Oh please,” Cartman cut in. “You’re just quitting ‘cause everyone's so tall and you can’t make a shot.” 

That was… too close to the truth. Kyle hesitated, which was always a mistake. 

“ _No,_ I just can’t wait to graduate early-” 

“Oh shit!" Cartman cut him off before he could finish his sentence, immediately recognizing his hesitation like a hunter noticing their prey stumble. "You totally can’t handle how everyone’s growing and you’re still 4’ 5”!” 

“I’m 5’ 6” you shithead!” Kyle yelled, a familiar anger flaring in his stomach as he glared up at the laughing brunet. “Also you may be a fucking giant now but that doesn’t mean you’re hot and _especially_ doesn’t mean I won’t still kick your ass fat boy!” 

“Bring it on Jew rat!” Cartman was smiling now and Kyle threw his duffel bag to the ground ready to wipe the smirk off his face until Stan stepped between them, elbowing Cartman in the gut and pushing Kyle back gently. 

“Whoa, whoa, okay! Remember what the counselors said- one more fight and you’re both suspended for two weeks!” Kyle growled and picked up his duffel bag, turning on his heel and continuing to the front doors leading out to the parking lot. 

“Come ooon! I could’ve crushed that beta Jew!” 

Beta.

Yeah. 

He rubbed his stomach subconsciously, where his growing uterus lay. 

He just wanted to get his gear and put it in his car before school started, was that too much to ask? 

Apparently fucking so, said the universe, as it placed Eric Fucking Cartman right in the hall outside the gym on the first day back to school. What a hilarious prank, what an awesome joke. 

It was almost as hilarious as making Eric Fucking Cartman an alpha and him an omega.


	2. Growing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to omega-hood Kahl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It doesn't look exactly like this but if I get too much into the details of the area I become less invested in writing the actual plot, so here's the basic layout of Kyle's apartment! https://medialibrarycdn.entrata.com/media_library/9242/550092b896fe8610.jpg 

_19 Years Old_

Kyle was starting to hate alphas. 

Actually… ever since Cartman announced he was one, he had basically villainized them in his mind, but he was starting to hate them as a whole. As a concept. He kept reminding himself that that was unfair, after all some of his best friends were alphas, like Stan and Wendy and Craig just to name a few. 

But he was really starting to hate them all. 

“Guys... it’s really not that hard.” 

“Says the guy who got into college almost two years earlier than us!” Kenny exclaimed, pulling at his unkempt golden locks free from the confines of his parka hood. 

“What he said,” Stan mumbled, his cheek squished in his open palm holding his head up against the small rounded dining table. 

Right now, Kyle was helping them with their essays for scholarships. They were sitting in Kyle’s single bed and bath apartment surrounded by college application papers, scholarship application papers and all the other papers needed to fill those application papers. He'd been tutoring them as well as some of their other friends so they could all pass their final exams and get into a good college, even though there were only three in South Park. 

The town had grown considerably over the years and two new ones had popped up in the last decade, but everyone was still going to go to the oldest and biggest campus since it was smack in the middle of town and closest to all the neighborhoods. But, despite its popularity, Kyle hadn’t gone to that college. He was smart, or at least everyone kept saying so, so he went to one of the newer, cheaper ones for the first year of his college days so he could get the main core classes out of the way and be able to focus fully on his major when he transferred over to the one all his friends were going to. 

He had his own work to keep him busy between his friends questions; an essay for his English class. It was basically asking him to question and take a stance on the ethics of Alphas dominating government politics in current world events which had spurred his recurring thought more and more. 

He was starting to hate alphas. 

“Uuugh I’m bored... and _tired…_ can I have a smoke yet?” 

But he didn’t hate _these_ alphas. 

“Ken, at least start your third paragraph and _then_ you can have a smoke,” Kyle responded, not really looking up from his own writing. 

“Uuuuuggh!” The alpha groaned, tilting his head back towards the ceiling as he leaned back in his wood chair. “But moooom!” 

Kyle looked up then, wrinkling his nose with a scowl. “Ew, don’t call me that.” 

“You are kind of acting like one though,” Stan added unhelpfully and Kyle gave him a reprimanding look. “That look you just gave me isn’t helping your case.” 

Kyle looked between them and recognized the sour looks on their faces. They _had_ been working diligently for an hour. “Okay fine, I guess we can have a break.” To be honest, he wanted one too. 

“Yes!” Kenny was out of his chair and heading for the balcony in a flash, pulling out his pack of cigarettes and a lighter as he went. Stan followed, but not out to the balcony. He leaned on the sliding door frame and pulled out a mod style vape, hitting it for a long moment before exhaling out of the crack that Kenny had left open. 

_These_ alphas were considerate. 

Kyle headed for the fridge and opened it to find it chock full of cooking ingredients, various leftover containers, a few 12-packs of sodas with varying flavors and a cake he had bought as a reward for when they completed their assignments. "Sodas anyone?" He asked as he grabbed himself a Sunkist. He liked his orange drinks. 

“I’ll take a root beer,” Stan said with a relieved sigh. 

“Me too!” Kenny called from the balcony, his parka squished against the glass where he sat back against the door and Kyle grabbed two root beers before following Stan out to the balcony. He and Stan slid their legs through the railing as they sat on the ledge and dangled their legs over the street, cracking open their sodas at the same time and clinking them like wine glasses. 

“Did you figure out your major yet Kenny?” Kyle asked after taking a sip of his cold drink and he heard Kenny let out some sound between a hum and a growl. 

“Not yet... But you said I have time right?” Kenny scooted forward from the glass sliding door to dangle his legs over the edge with them. Kyle gave him a reassuring nod. 

“Dude of course. People always change halfway through ‘cause they try to do everything at once. Just focus on your core classes and it’ll be easier later on.

“We’ll be fine as long as we have Kyle as a safety net,” Stan added and Kyle punched his shoulder making the tall boy cringe. “Ow!” 

“I’m graduating earlier than you so don’t even think you’ll get to lean on me forever!” Stan whined a little and Kenny laughed. 

“But who am I going to go to if one of my teachers offers sex for good grades?” The blonde asked dramatically and Kyle and Stan made noises of disgust. 

“Uh- the police?!” Kyle exclaimed. 

“Hr?! Or- wait, does the college have hr?” Stan asked and Kenny laughed while Kyle gave it genuine thought. 

“They have… counselors? You could get an hr degree-” Kyle stopped himself. “Actually you would be the _worst_ hr representative.” 

“That took you way too long to realize,” Stan said dryly. 

“I thought about it for like, a split second.” 

“Way too long.” 

Kyle let out a breathy laugh and rested his head against the icy bars of the railing, enjoying the moment. South Park was still covered with the ever present layer of snow and the air was still that familiar cold it had always been since he was a kid and he reveled in the familiarity. 

He never thought about moving out of South Park, he didn’t think he could stand the slightly warmer temperatures or the naturally changing seasons anywhere else. It was always winter here. It was always cold and white and he had related home to those characteristics of the town. That didn’t mean he didn’t want to travel or vacation, but he felt comforted in that moment as he sat and looked over the familiar, constant mountains in the distance. 

He wondered if living in the cold made him a cold person, a random thought diminished by all the things that warmed him. His family, his accomplishments, his hobbies and the presence of his loving friends sitting just next to him. 

“When is that fatass getting here?” He asked suddenly, though it wasn’t really sudden. He was wondering where the alpha had been since he hadn’t shown up with the other two sitting next to him. “I’m not letting him stay late again. Last time I did he ate a whole party sized bag of my favorite chips.” He scowled at the memory and double checked in his mind as to where he'd hid the new bag he'd bought the other day. Safely tucked away in his closet. Phew. 

“He texted, should be here any second,” Stan said as he blew out a hit of his vape. “I told him to hurry the fuck up or else he’ll have to get a loan instead of a scholarship.” 

“Thanks.” 

“No prob.” 

“Can I hit that?” Kenny asked, pointing at Stan’s vape and the black haired alpha handed it over easily. 

Kenny didn’t have his own vape because he couldn’t afford one. But, money or no, he had a nicotine addiction that needed to be sated and bought cigarettes because they were cheaper. They had offered to buy him his own vape, Kyle a bit more earnestly because cigarettes were going to take his _lung_ at some point, but Kenny was a stubborn alpha, mainly about making his own money and being independent. He didn’t take handouts like he did when he was a kid. He didn’t want any debts and Kyle respected the _hell_ out of that but they all could see it was near killing him. They didn’t know how Kenny could be so upbeat when he worked almost three jobs and _still_ lived with his abusive parents; same bedroom, same everything. 

Kyle didn’t have a job yet but was doing just fine on his own. Thanks to his high reaching academic scores and diligence in school, he was able to get a full ride through college, aiming for a computer science and joint teaching degree. With no use for it, his parents gave him nearly all the college money they had been collecting and saving since he was born which he used to pay for necessities like his rent, groceries, various insurance investments and treating his family and friends to nights out. Although his bank account was in the thousands, he wanted to make sure he was constantly in a stable place financially, so he worked at the college as a tutor for about 12 an hour which had an added bonus of keeping his mind, social skills and work ethic sharp. 

Kenny worked the morning shift at a gas station, the night shift as a bartender, and on his days off he made some extra cash at a tattoo parlor training to be a tattoo specialist. He had average academic skill, like Stan and Cartman, but he was the most creative of them all, no doubt. He was an artist at heart, Kyle saw it when the barkeep taught him how to mix drinks with flare and in his notebooks filled to the brim with years of designs and ideas. He was an alpha of many talents but Kyle still worried he would work himself into the ground. 

Stan worked at the same bar as Kenny as a waiter, but was paid more to be a sort of undercover security. He would bring you your drinks and food while also keeping an eye out for struggling omegas, betas who had too much to drink and overly aggressive alphas. He actually made the bar a safe place for all, really; anyone wanting to ruin the fun or cause a fuss being swiftly taken care of as he dragged them out to the curb. He also worked as a defense teacher, teaching mainly omega children how to protect themselves and others while trying to set a good alpha example for them. He had joined fighting classes from middle school through high school and had only started teaching a few months before, but the kids all loved him and more importantly they felt _safe_ around him and Kyle was proud of the alpha he had become. 

Cartman actually made use of his shitty attitude and large size and became a bouncer at a club, but ultimately he just wanted to learn the ropes so he could start his own. After a month of working there he quit and in record time had built a business from the ground up; a bar and dance club he named Kupa Club, which all the boys in their grade loved as well as hated as it referenced their embarrassing childhood memories running around in costumes and playing magic games. Kyle had no idea how he did it since he wasn’t even old enough to drink (legally), but looking back at any other small business the fatass had started when they were still _kids,_ he didn’t doubt it involved _some_ illegal activity. 

Cartman had his own living space above the club so it was basically his home and Kyle had to give him some credit, accomplishing so much so fast. But honestly, when had he not? If he wanted something he’d go above and beyond to have it in whatever way possible, Kyle knew that well enough. For Cartman, the ends justify the means and Kyle eventually had to start refusing bets with him because his methods to win just became more and more _extreme_. 

Kyle _would_ bet money, however, that Cartman had everything going for him and was basically becoming some sort of mafia boss, which made him wonder why he was still bothering to go to college. 

He was going for a business major, which Kyle could understand, and a music minor, which he understood _immensely_ less. Despite his terrible grades in elementary and middle school, when highschool came around he started joining Stan, Kenny and Kyle’s study group and became a student with average grades. He stopped skipping class as much and started taking life more seriously but he was still the bane of Kyle’s existence. He was always late to their meetings and ate all their food, he still teased and called them names, but compared to when they were kids he was practically a good person. 

But Kyle knew he was hiding something... Eric Cartman wasn’t known to walk the earth without some form of chaos tailing him at all times. 

He blinked out of his thoughts suddenly as he heard said chaos roar through the streets and a second later he saw Cartman’s rust red pickup screech around the corner and speed into a parking space. 

“Dude!” Stan called out angrily as Cartman got out of his truck and Kyle heard Kenny growl disapprovingly. 

“What?!” The fucker called up at them, sticking his arms out as if asking the world what its problem was. “You told me to hurry!”

“Omegas live here you dick-shit! You probably scared half the building with that loud ass piece of junk!” 

“ _Ay!_ Fluffy may be loud but she's not junk ya asshole!” He yelled back, scowling. 

“ _You’re_ the asshole!” 

“Do you want me to yell the building an apology?!” 

“I’ll take one you shit head!” Kyle had stood up by this point and peeked over the edge of the railing to see Jenny, his neighbor right below him, holding the railing hard and shaking angrily. She was a slim, shorter girl with black hair and blue eyes. She usually dressed in blue and always had something purple tying her hair back. She also made a badass pound cake. 

“It was a rhetorical question!” Cartman called back dryly and Kyle growled. 

“Cartman!” Kyle barked down in a warning tone, causing the alpha to groan and roll his eyes. 

“Fine! Sorry! Are you happy now?!” Cartman ducked as Jenny threw an empty soda can at him and retreated back into her room and Kenny bellowed a laugh. 

“Sorry, Jenny!” Kyle called down right before her door closed and then glared back down at Cartman. 

“Serves you right asshole!” Stan called down but Cartman just waved him off, shouting a dismissive "Whatever!" before heading for the entrance to the building. Kyle shook his head with a groan. 

“Goddamnit that’s embarrassing!” He snapped, turning and heading into his own apartment with a scowl twisting his face. Stan got up to follow, taking his drink as well as Kyle's along with him while Kenny just leaned back on his hand, still chuckling to himself, cigarette half finished between his fingers.

“I’m gonna have to apologize to her later,” Kyle sighed as he slumped back in his seat and Stan gave him a sympathetic smile, placing his drink on the counter, away from all the papers. 

“Aw, she knows what he's like. It’s cool you and Jenny ended up living in the same place.” 

Kyle deadpanned. “I’m _one hundred percent_ sure she doesn’t feel the same way.” 

“Yeah but at least she understands. Also, good on her for giving Cartman what he deserves.” 

_Even though she was shaking the whole time,_ Kyle thought. The can had gotten close but it missed by a long shot, fear probably throwing off her aim. 

He hated that alphas made omegas feel that way, just for being what they are. Kyle knew that Jenny wasn’t afraid of Cartman, she was afraid of _alphas_. That’s why she lived in this mostly omega partly beta complex. She was probably in her room shaking at the thought of Cartman banging on her door, demanding an apology. Alphas had done it before. 

He was starting to hate alphas a _lot_. 

Instead, there was a stern knock on his _own_ door and Stan walked over and opened it. He opened his mouth, probably to scold the bastard on the other side, but recoiled suddenly, his hand flying up to cover his nose and mouth. 

“Dude, what the _fuck?_ ” 

“Yeah yeah I know, I brought a bottle of scent neutralizer,” the taller alpha groaned as he passed the threshold into the apartment. He had his green backpack half opened, rummaging through it and pulling out a can of scent neutralizing spray as he headed straight for the bathroom. 

“And you couldn’t have put it on _outside?_ You fucking reek!” Kyle wrinkled his nose from where he sat at the table and watched the alphas bicker in his own house. He covered his own nose when Cartman walked by but really it was just for show. He couldn’t smell a thing. 

“Well I’m _sorry_ but I was being attacked by flying cans throwing cans!” 

“Cartman!” Kyle yelled in a chastising tone and the bastard laughed at him. 

“Are you going to say anything other than my name tonight?” He asked and Kyle outright ignored the dirtiness of the question.

“Not if you keep insulting my friends and stinking up the place!” 

“Just calling it like it is Jew.” 

Kyle scoffed and went back to his paper like the other two weren’t even there. Stan and Kenny could help him with his essay because he was going to give that fat asshole _very_ little help to work with. He’d only been there about two minutes and had already pissed off two alphas and two-

...two omegas. 

When Cartman finally left the bathroom, tossing the empty can of scent neutralizer in the recycling bin in the kitchen, Stan gave him an “are you serious” look from his seat at the table. 

“God damn! I’m sorry my truck sounds like a thunderstorm on wheels! What do you _want_ from me?” 

“Don’t you have like, your own business?” Stan asked as Cartman pulled up the empty chair next to Kyle at the table and plonked himself down like he’d always been there. “Can’t you afford a better car than _that_ deathtrap?” 

“How much do you think I make?” Cartman asked, incredulously. “I don’t have ten grand to throw around on cars and bitches. If I did I would have already!” 

“Fair enough,” Stan sighed and a moment later Kenny finally came back from the balcony, closing the sliding door and pausing in his steps as he came towards the table to take a seat. 

He sniffed the air. “Why does it smell like horny omega in here?” 

“Guilty as charged,” Cartman raised a guilty hand, though there wasn’t a _speck_ of guilt on his face. 

“You might as well go home ‘cause you’re not getting any help from me,” Kyle said to his paper, not bothering to look up at the brunet a few inches to his right. He wasn't exactly sure what particular scent it was that pissed Stan off but now that he did, thanks to Kenny, he was one snide comment away from throwing Cartman out. “It fucking _reeks_ thanks to you and now I have to go apologize to Jenny.”

“Aw come on Kahl!” Why couldn’t he just say his name normally? “The fucking omega wouldn’t let me leave! I told ‘em they were gonna make me late but the bitch just couldn’t get enough of this!” Kyle’s green eyes met teasing brown and blue furiously. 

_I hate_ this _fucking alpha,_ Kyle thought. _I might not hate them all but I definitely hate this one. How dare he say all that about an omega!_ _We can’t help the way we are!_

His thought stalled him from where he was about to tear Cartman a new one and throw him out of his house. 

_No, that’s not how omegas are, it was just that one omega that was being needy, not all of them are,_ he thought quickly, but that wasn’t the part of his thought that bothered him. 

His hormones had started working properly just a couple years before, but it was only recently that he had started mentally grouping himself in with omegas as a whole. Before, he had to beat it into his own mind that he was a beta, basically tricking himself so he could never reveal the truth on accident. He knew it wasn’t healthy and he knew he would have to accept himself eventually, but it still unsettled him a bit. 

All of this just so the bastard to his right wouldn’t torment him for it. 

So instead of throwing him out, not wanting to make a big deal over a particular comment that would out him, Kyle looked him up and down and scoffed. “As if.” 

“Yes if!” Cartman looked and sounded genuinely offended. “Need I remind you of the decree I made when we were ten? That I would be hot? I am hot now Kyle, you must admit it. Look at my body count!” 

Although Kyle still called him fatass, it was a bit far from the truth now. Cartman was… big. He had broad shoulders, thick arms and legs and yes, still a bit of fat on his stomach but he had grown into his mass as a child and just kept on growing from there. He had a slightly rounded but prominent jawline, neat, silky brown hair, narrow eyebrows and fairly straight and white teeth. His eyes were two different colors thanks to that doctor who gave him an unnecessary eye surgery for fast cash, but it had become a quirk of his that lots of people liked, if they could get past his shitty character, which few could. 

Was he attractive? Maybe to others, but Kyle would never admit that to himself. No, he _wasn’t_ attractive. 

He felt his stomach twitch strangely. 

“Let me see…” He looked away in false thought. “No… yeah nope, nothing to admit. I got nothing.” He looked back at Cartman blandly and the alpha growled a little, but Kyle continued without a beat. “Now did you come to fight or are you going to start your scholarship essay?” 

“Are you going to _help_ me?” 

“Are you going to shut the fuck up and focus?” Kyle shot back quickly and Cartman shrugged. 

“Only if _you_ help me.” Kyle rolled his eyes and noted the emphasis on him specifically. 

“Then I’ll help you. Now shut the fuck up, get your shit out and let’s focus.” 

“Roger that!” Kenny saluted and Stan joined him, making the omega smile. 

And from there they dove back into their work. 

~~0~~

Kyle couldn’t sleep. 

Everytime he fell asleep he just woke up again in a cold sweat a couple hours later. His stomach kept twinging and twitching… at least he _hoped_ it was his stomach. 

It was like his body was trying to tell him something, or was noticing something he couldn’t, and that thought freaked him out so much eventually he got out of his sweat soaked bed and made himself busy by putting all his bed coverings in the washer before setting up the couch to sleep on. He made himself hot chocolate and downed a few sleeping pills, which calmed his body a bit and put him at ease, but as soon as he layed back down and pulled his extra blanket over his shoulder, he felt it all coming back up and rushed to the bathroom to expel the drink he had just thoroughly enjoyed. 

From there it just got _worse_ . The stomach pains, definitely _stomach_ pains, had him curled up on the floor in front of the toilet heaving nothing but air into the bowl with a single question rattling through his head. 

Why? Why why why _why_ was this happening? The obvious answer was too much to accept- he wasn’t ready to accept it. Maybe he ate some really bad take out the other night and it was all hitting him late the next day. Maybe that- that cake he gave the guys wasn’t cooked properly. Maybe he just had really bad gas stuck in his gut and was nauseous for… for some reason! Any reason other than the obvious!

But then… why could he smell _so much_ all of a sudden? 

He could smell the frosting stuck to the plates in the sink, the detergent above the washing machine, the chips hidden in his closet and… something… familiar… 

He sniffed the air suddenly, looking up from the toilet bowl and crawling out of the bathroom, following the traces in the air. He knew he looked pathetic, sweat soaked, pale skin white with fever, but dammit this was _his_ home so he could look as pathetic as he wanted, even though he wanted to be anything but. 

He found himself crawling over to the couch and rooting around under the blankets where he had set up his makeshift bed and ended up tearing all the blankets away, then the back cushions, then one of the bottom cushions until he found a pair of yellow gloves, wrinkled and dark from excessive use. 

“These are Cartman’s gloves,” he said out loud to no one, grabbing them and sniffing them without a thought. 

Wow… is this what Cartman smelled like? He sat back and buried his nose in the soft material. 

It was very faint… but the smell of cocoa powder and lemon citrus reached him like a warm memory. It was _familiar_ , his body recognized it easily. 

But that just freaked him out more. 

He threw them to the floor on top of the pile of blankets and cushions nearby and ran to his room while his body was distracted, ripping his phone from his charger, unlocking it and heading straight for his contacts. 

The first time it went to voicemail he crumpled to the floor with a desperate whine before trying again. He needed _help,_ he needed it _now!_ He didn’t want an alpha or a friend to see him like this, he didn’t want to worry anyone who didn’t know what he was. An omega. 

“Hello?” His mom sounded sleepy but worried, and relief rushed through him as her voice filtered through the phone. “Bubbala? What’s going on? Why are you calling at three am?” 

“M-om…” He choked out. He _hated_ the way his voice broke and trembled. “Everything _hurts_ and I can smell things a _whole room away!_ ” He was near _sobbing_ and the panic gripped his chest harder and harder as he spoke. The indication behind his words scared him then more than anything. “I don’t know what to do… god, it hurts…” He slumped over against his side table as his mother gasped. 

“ _What what what?!_ Oh my god, Gerald! Wake up! Our baby is finally blossoming! Don’t you worry sweetie, we’ll be over in _ten minutes._ ” 

He shoved his face onto his bare mattress, muffling his whine of distress, but it just upset him more. He wanted to be in bed, he wanted to be covered in blankets and pillows, but they were all in the washer! 

“Don’t worry Kyle, we’re coming! We’re going to take you to the doctor and everything will be okay, alright?” 

“Okay…” he panted miserably. 

“Stay on the phone with me, okay Kyle? Try to focus on me, on _my_ voice. Focus your breathing, in for four, out for six. You’re a very strong omega Kyle, because you’re my son and there’s nothing you can’t pull through.” She started rattling off praises as he heard her get into the car and spur Gerald to go faster. 

The praises calmed him down a bit but he still found himself shivering, curled up next to his bed with a crippling pain in his gut and a flurry of questions ringing through his mind behind his mother's sweet distracting words. 

Why why _why?_ Why was this happening _now?_ If he knew it would hurt _this much,_ would he have wished for it sooner? Just to get it over with? What was going to happen to him? Would he be able to get himself down to the car? What would his parents smell like? Would it be too overwhelming? 

Why did he recognize Cartman’s scent from those gloves? He had lost those months ago. How did he get them stuck in the couch? 

Why did he want to smell them again so badly? 

That last thought terrified him into a tense silence and he sat shivering until his parents arrived. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHH WHATS HAPPENING IM WRITING SO MUCH LETS KEEP IT GOIIIIING


	3. SPORC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle gets help.

~~0~~

Kyle woke up in a hospital bed and had never panicked so hard in his life. 

He had woken up in a few hospital beds before, that time he jumped off a roof imitating Cartman’s attempt at flying when they were eleven being just one example. Albeit, that time he had _planned_ to end up in the hospital, to get a psychics credibility, but there were many other times where he had woken up to white walls, fluorescent lights and beeping machines and taken in the situation rationally before moving on quickly. 

This was not one of those times. 

The first thing he noticed as he came into consciousness was the smell of something sweet and sugary. A few thoughts trickled into his mind. 

Cinnamon. Mom. 

Pine. Dad. 

They were comforting thoughts and smells but they had that same sense of _familiarity_ he noticed when he had- 

...

 _OH GOD,_ His brain screeched, lighting his consciousness ablaze with realization, embarrassment and shame _. I sniffed Cartman’s gloves!_

And with just one thought his heart monitor’s steady rhythm became erratic and his easy breathing turned to gasping breaths. His eyes flicked wide open and swiveled around sporadically, like he’d never been in a hospital before, and suddenly a female beta nurse was rushing through the door, pressing him back onto the bed with quick, memorized, reassuring words that he was okay and safe. It did little to help his panic, however. He _wanted_ to believe her, a big part of him knew that everything was fine and nothing was really wrong, but this irrational _other_ part of his mind felt her stern hand on his chest and screamed for her to back up- to get away from him. 

_I don’t know you- you smell weird!_ He just barely kept himself from yelling the strange and foreign thoughts out loud. Instead he started whining defensively and scrambling backwards on the bed. _Where am I? Nothing smells familiar- I want to go home!_ Outwardly he just flailed around a bit, gripping at the blankets and writhing with the intense sensations he had never experienced before. The nurse quickly and efficiently stuck a needle into the tube attached to his arm and after a few seconds he felt himself falling limp and his mind becoming hazy but calm, his heavy breathing turning to slowing pants. 

_Thank god for morphine,_ he thought blearily, his first coherent thought so far that was truly his own. This, at least, was a sensation he recognized. 

“Jesus, Gerald!” He heard his mother cry to his right. “Nurse, what is _wrong_ with him?!” He cringed inwardly at the whimper he made from hearing her voice and reached out blindly, his vision blurry and his eyelids heavy. He felt warmed by her hands surrounding his own almost immediately. 

“I can’t be certain Mrs. Broflovski,” the nurse replied in a gentle tone, learned from years of bedside maintenance. “But don’t worry. The doctor will be in any second to assess his state.” 

“I want to go home…” he heard himself mumble, but he barely felt the words leave his lips. “It’s too much… I hate it…” 

“Don’t worry Kyle,” his father said tenderly and he felt him place a hand on his hip, grounding him slightly. “We’ll be going home soon, I promise.” 

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Broflovski,” Doctor Latner greeted them as he swept into the room, almost on cue, and quickly came to Kyle’s side. He seized a clipboard the nurse held out for him to read and skimmed his eyes over it as his mother started worrying again. 

“Doctor, is he going to be okay?” She asked desperately. 

“Hmm... “ The doctor’s brows furrowed and Kyle strained to listen as the morphine tried to drag him under, his voice wavering between slightly muffled to overly loud as he started explaining the situation to them. “Well, the good news is that your sons glands have finally started producing pheromones and his system is starting to recognize others, however the bad news is that it has started so late it’s causing a chemical imbalance that’s having extreme effects on his body and psyche.” 

“How is that possible?!” His mother asked in a panicked voice and even through the waves of drug-induced drowsiness keeping him down, the tone of her voice caused a pang of fear to strike him once more and he whimpered at the emotion. 

“Please, I must ask you to keep calm. Your son is _extremely_ sensitive to smells, sounds and emotions at the moment,” his mother gripped his hand a little harder but took deep breaths to calm herself and his father rubbed her shoulder supportively. “Let me explain; see, our pheromones and hormones are meant to start producing at a young age so our bodies learn how to control, regulate and maintain them over time. As we get older, our bodies also relate certain senses to the events and emotions we experience throughout our lives. Kyle is a very odd case in which his hormones came later, but he has been completely incapable of recognizing other pheromones and thus was unable to make neural connections between his surroundings and his state of mind. To my knowledge, he has had only his normal omegan hormones start affecting him in the last two or three years, and now that his glands have started working properly, he’s becoming aware of things he wasn’t able to notice before such as other peoples scents and emotions. His body has no proper memory of all the things he is now capable of recognizing so he is in a state of complete sensory overload. To put it simply, now that he can smell pheromones, his hormones are overreacting because he’s never noticed them before.” 

“Oh, my baby!” Sheila whispered loudly and leaned down to pet Kyle’s red curls soothingly and he leaned into the touch drowsily. 

“I knew we should have pushed harder for those experimental pheromone enhancers,” Gerald growled quietly to himself. “He’s just so stubborn and cares too much about what others think of him!” 

“This must be that one bully’s fault!” Sheila's anger prickled Kyle’s side and he felt like his hand was burning, though she held it gently. “He was only so adamant about hiding who he is because of _that boy!_ ” Kyle whimpered again at the mention of Cartman. Though it wasn’t directly stated, he knew who they were talking about. 

“Please don’t go about pointing fingers now,” Doctor Latner cut in, looking both parents in the eyes determinedly. “Your son’s case is _very_ rare. This has only been known to happen to under 10% of omegas world wide, which is why the pheromone enhancers, as you mentioned, are _still_ in the experimental stages.” 

“So what can we _do?_ ” Gerald asked earnestly. “How do we _help_ him?” 

“Well, there aren’t many options. For now I believe we should keep him contained in a completely scent-neutralized room and try a sort of pheromone therapy by introducing things that bring him comfort little by little. After that we can start introducing him to the pheromones of others, preferably his friends or other family so his omega side can start recognizing who is pack and who makes him uncomfortable. It will also help him get used to scents more quickly. We’ll have to see from there if he’s ready to go home.” 

“You want to keep him _here?_ ” Shiela exclaimed and Kyle cringed as her voice raised once more. She seemed to notice and lowered her voice to a helpless whimper. “For how _long?_ ” 

“We could keep him here, although it might make him feel more comfortable to go to an omega rehabilitation center until he is fully back on his feet. The workers and atmosphere in a place like that are all controlled and regulated to make omegas feel completely at ease, especially when they are struggling to understand themselves, like your son. They also have counselors to check up on their mental state and talk them through their situations, even after they get out. We can discuss the details at a later time, but for now we should let him get some rest. You should, maybe, go retrieve some of his belongings that make him feel safe and let others know that he’s alright.” 

Kyle was straining to keep himself awake throughout the explanation but the last part had him perk up a little. 

“S-Stan…” 

“What was that baby?” Sheila jumped to answer him, still petting his locks gently. 

“Tell Stan… he knows…” 

“Alright bubbala. We’ll let him know.” 

“Don’t worry son, we’re right next to you through all of this. We _know_ you’ll pull through.” Kyle felt a few hot tears slide down his cheeks as his eyelids lulled shut and he felt his mother's thumbs wipe them away gently before she pressed a light kiss on his nose. 

“We’ll keep him under and start the pheromone therapy tomorrow morning at the earliest. Let’s give him space now to rest before that.” The doctor fiddled with the machine to the omegas left as he spoke and Kyle felt his mind slipping. 

The last thing he remembered was his mother gripping his hand and whispering a soft goodnight into his hair before he drifted back into unconsciousness. Her love felt like… a cool wave lapping against a sandy beach. 

He dreamed of dolphins squeaking happily as they swam in a sea of dark, uncharted waters; his chest tight not from suffocation, but the thought of unknown dangers lurking deep beneath it’s depths. 

~~~~~

Kyle looked down at his phone, dismay and frustration reverberating off of him like a fog. It was almost 3am and he was in a mental battle between his body and mind, trying to sum up the courage to finally call his best friend, who he had been through it all with, and was almost winning. 

It had been a week since his breakdown, or blossoming, or whatever the people taking care of him wanted to call it, and he was now in the South Park Omega Rehabilitation Center, or SPORC for short. He was moved there three days after his hospitalization and placed in a completely scent-neutralized room where only his mother was allowed visits while omega nurses and doctors brought him food, replaced his sheets, examined his physical state and talked to him while he started gaining control of his senses. 

The room he was given was plain, but nice. It had a simple white dresser filled with a multitude of different scentless clothing, mostly pajamas or comfortable clothes, silky smooth and soft to the touch. A sealed window sat above the dresser, sunning a few yellow lilies in a vase next to a few bottles of sleeping and pain pills and a tall glass of half finished water. He had an en suite bathroom with a shower-bath, toilet, sink and medicine cabinet where he kept his toothbrush, floss and a small bottle of mouthwash. He had a side table to the left of his single bed which was pushed to the furthest corner from the door where he kept only his work laptop, because he’ll be damned if he falls back on his extra credit work because he was… well hospitalized. The work kept his mind busy at best, but eventually he would run out of work to do since he was already ahead on extra credit summer assignments, so he worked on it only when he felt his senses become deafeningly sensitive. 

Although a week had passed and he had done a bit of pheromone therapy, he was still enormously touchy and his muscles were tiring from being so tense all the time. Also, whenever a nurse came in he could _still_ smell her natural scent, even under the layers upon layers of scent covering cream and hair products and knew he would be in there for a damn _while_. 

He had been assigned a counselor another two days after he was brought there and found she was a very intelligent omega named Catherine Strong, and damn was she _strong_ . She had blonde hair and blue eyes and a rocking body despite having five kids- all at once! Fucking _quintuplets!_ Not to mention she was a bodybuilder, an advocate for omega voices in government and on top of being a therapist, was also a personal trainer for omegas exclusively. She reminded Kyle of Stan, working towards a better future for omegas and he figured there was no choice to respect her, in whatever field she was working at any time. 

When he first walked into her office, she seemed to size him up while also introducing herself gently and they talked for a bit and got to know each other. She’d had two omegas like him before and was still in touch with them, so his situation wasn’t a first for her, which comforted him. She didn’t bother smothering her scent, which Kyle actually liked because he could smell her genuine character outright, although after a while it became a little overpowering and when he spoke up about it she spritzed a little scent covering spray on herself so he wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. 

“Since we’re going to be talking a lot,” she had said. “I didn’t want to cover my scent. The nurses and doctors do so because they are around many omegas throughout the day, but each therapist only handles three omegas at most at one time and we want you to become more comfortable around other peoples scents faster, especially with the person working the most with you.” 

As they talked, Kyle was a bit soft spoken but only because this _other_ part of him was cautious of this new stranger. She seemed to gather almost immediately that he was very stubborn but also very delicate; that he had a strong mind and character but was now very fragile because of his situation and condition. He liked that she explained things in detail to him, things like how the organization worked, what he could do and where he could go to keep himself busy while also slowly enriching himself little by little in ways he probably wouldn’t even notice. He could take walks outside and get to know what nature smells like. He could play games with other omegas in the game room and if he made friends he could visit them with their permission. 

She pressed that permission was important, that omegas were very territorial creatures and consent was _everything_ . Kyle had noticed when he first got there how attentive the workers were as well, asking consent for something as seemingly small as entering his room or touching his bed to change the sheets and they're tone was _always_ soft and comforting. He didn’t know _why_ at the time it had made him feel uncomfortable when they touched his things or came in his room, he just said ‘of course’ because it was the sensible thing to do, but Dr. Strong assured him that if he didn’t want to be around people or he didn’t want someone to even _look_ at him that they would completely understand and comply because his comfort is key to his mental health and stability and since omegas that came to SPORC weren’t usually aware of what they were comfortable with, due to various reasons, all the workers were trained to be extra accommodating. 

She didn’t ask him any questions, just let him ask the questions and then explain the important things. It was a good introductory meeting and Kyle was surprised at his own surprise that omegas went this far to _care_ for each other. But then a second later his surprise melted into shame at the fact that he took his own second gender for granted. 

_Look how strong she is and how organized and safe this whole place is,_ his rational mind thought. _I’m sure with the people here helping me, I’ll be strong enough to leave soon and be able to take care of myself easily._

 _But there are no alphas here,_ his omega mind piped up, and the thought felt foreign and disturbing. _I’m all alone here, no friends, no protection. I want to go home._ His hope and shame clashed and Dr. Strong jumped to rectify his conflicting feelings as soon as he started fidgeting and going quiet. 

“I’m sure you feel out of place or lonely,” she said, as if she could read his mind. Those weren’t the words his irrational brain had thought _exactly_ , but when she said them he realized it to be true. “So I encourage you to reach out to your friends, but keep in mind that you don’t need others to feel safe. No one else is going to care for you as much as you yourself because this is _your_ life to live, not theirs. _You_ are the most important person in your life, and that’s not selfish, that’s self-care.” Kyle had conflicting reactions to her words. He felt like what she was saying was common knowledge, but at the same time he’d never heard anyone say that to him before- _for_ him. 

“And I know it’s contradictory to nature and such, but I believe it should be a rule of thumb for omegas to never rely on alphas. Omegas are completely capable of being independent and self sufficient but they have this misconception that they _need_ alphas to survive, when really it’s the other way around.” Kyle’s surroundings seemed to dim around her as she spoke, like her words were the light in his darkening world. “I have no bias against alphas, personally. My husband is an alpha, two of my children are predicted to be alphas and I have plenty of alpha friends; but more often than not, alphas are the reason most omegas end up in here and it’s my goal to make you understand that you are totally capable of living your life normally, as you have, just now it’s a bit _different_ . You now have new challenges to face, new hills to conquer, but I’m here to help you- _teach_ you how to conquer them and most importantly, how to reinforce your boundaries. We’ll be working on those a _lot_ , so don’t worry about how you’ll go about doing that just yet.” 

“I think you’re my new favorite person,” Kyle suddenly said and blushed as the words just tumbled out of his mouth. Him and his omega brain seemed to _finally_ have a joint thought and before he could think about it he had already spoken it out loud. Dr. Strong just smiled, like those were the exact words she wanted to hear. 

“And I think you’re going to be my new favorite patient.” 

For two long days after that conversation, he’d been gathering up the courage to call Stan, which brought him to the present moment; sitting on his bed, legs drawn up to his chest, looking down at his phone and arguing with himself. 

For those first two days he kept finding excuses not to call him, even though each excuse made him feel worse and worse. Dr. Strong’s words just kept rattling around his head, however, and on the third day he found he just couldn't sleep and decided to start the battle with himself. He knew he could win it, he just had to be rational. 

After a lot of deep thought, he came to the conclusion that he was scared of what Stan would say since they hadn’t spoken since their last study session, even though he was probably going crazy worried about him after his parents relayed the news of his… activation? 

But, when he dug deeper, he realized he was scared that Stan would treat him _differently_ now that his omega side was becoming a solid part of him and his life. He was scared that it would strain their relationship, but he also _knew_ that they could deal with it. 

_I need to find my boundaries,_ he thought, finally picking up the phone and pressing the call button. _And not doing anything won’t help me discover them any faster, just like how not talking will strain the relationship more than just laying it all on the table. Besides, he’s_ always _known._

He didn't know if Stan would even be awake, but he decided to take a chance. If he didn't pick up, maybe he would just leave a voicemail and try again tomorrow. He took a deep breath as the phone rang, but to his surprise, it only rang once. 

“Kyle!” His friend’s voice was eager but worried and Kyle jumped a little at the sound. It somehow… sounded _different_ from how he remembered it. 

“H… hey Stan…” 

“Dude, are you okay?!” He said in a hushed tone and Kyle could hear him moving around on the other end, maybe to another room?

“Well I mean no, but I’m safe at least, if that’s what you mean.” Kyle’s voice lowered to a mumble as he spoke and he picked at an imaginary loose string on his shirt. 

“Can you tell me what happened? Are you in danger? Are you dying?!” 

“Dude, I just said I’m safe! I'm fine!” His voice was loud in the small room and he cringed a bit. “I’m at a rehabilitation center for... you know, omegas.” 

“Sorry, it’s just your parents told me you were in the hospital and they didn’t know when you would be getting out. They didn’t really say much else. Why didn’t you call sooner? Everyone’s worried about you!” 

That somehow upset him. The redhead’s chest clenched with guilt and sadness and he swallowed around the lump suddenly in his throat. 

“I-I’m sorry,” he said with a shaky voice and ran a hand through his wild, uncovered red hair. His long-worn green ushanka hat sat on the dresser at the foot of his bed and he suddenly wanted to put it on, but also didn’t want to move from his spot curled up on the bed. “I-I’ve been getting counseling and smelling things little by little and- and I don’t think I’ll be getting out any time soon I-” He stopped and wiped at his suddenly watery eyes. God, what was _wrong_ with him? Fucking hormones.

“Whoa wait- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pressure you. Take a deep breath, it’s okay.” Kyle did as he said, taking a calming breath and sighing into the phone. It made him feel a bit better. 

“Sorry, my hormones or whatever are fucking crazy right now.” 

“Don’t be sorry, it’s my fault. Your parents did mention you being extremely sensitive. If you want to tell me what’s been going on that’s cool, but to be honest it’s just good to know you’re okay. You’re okay, right?” Kyle found his worry endearing and sniffled a little with a small smile. 

“Yeah… just learning how to live with myself now, I guess. Adjusting is looking to be a bitch.” 

“You can smell pheromones now, right? How’s it been going with that?” 

“It’s fucking _awful_ dude,” Kyle laughed sadly. “I can smell fucking _everything_ and it’s all just so overwhelming. I don’t know how anybody can live like this!” 

“Well you kind of get used to it after a while. Remember when I first started smelling pheromones? I kept complaining about everything smelling like absolute dog shit." 

"You would not shut the fuck up about it, yeah. You were kind of becoming a cynical asshole about it." 

"Yeah, but I got over it! Give or take a month. You’ll get used to it, it just takes time.” 

“Time I don’t really have!” Now he was angry. “How the hell am I supposed to function like this?! School starts in less than two weeks!” 

“I think your health is a _bit_ more important than school, Kyle.” 

“Tell _that_ to capitalism.” Stan snickered on the other end and Kyle laughed with him. It felt great, just to laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he had. “I mean I guess it hasn’t stopped me so far. I really only need my laptop but I signed up for in-person classes and all the online classes are all full so I can’t switch…” he sighed. “It’s giving me anxiety.” 

“Yeah and knowing you, you probably signed up for the hardest classes huh?” 

“A few…” He finally let go of his legs curled up against his chest and sat cross-legged on the bed, relaxing a bit. “This is totally fucking up my life…” 

“Hey, no it is not! This was going to happen eventually. I’m sure you’ll be able to stand missing the first week of school, if you tell them what's up they'll probably give you a pass for having a sudden medical emergency. And hey, maybe the teachers will record their classes so you can watch them from home and stuff. It’ll work out, you should just work on getting better.” 

“Yeah… you’re right.” Kyle let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. His perfect attendance was at stake and that ended up being all he could focus on, but when Stan pointed that out it eased his mind. “Thanks Stan.” 

“No problem. Super best friends for life?” 

Kyle smiled. “Super best friends for life.” 

“Uh… but also… when are you going to tell everyone? About… you know?” 

Kyle sighed. That had been on his mind for the last two days too. 

“I don’t know… I’ve been lying to everyone for six years… they’ll probably hate me…” 

“They won’t hate you. They’re worried as hell about you. I just… I don’t know what to say until you’re back. Should I start telling people myself?” 

“No!" He said sharply and paused, reminding himself to calm down. He wasn't ready, he wasn't sure how to even _begin_ explaining it to his friends. Most of them were alphas, he was _sure_ they would all treat him different... and that scared him. "Can… Can I get back to you on that? I’ll ask my counselor. She’ll probably have a good idea on how to go about it.” 

"Your counselor?” 

“Yeah, she’s really helping me come to terms with all of this. We’ve only had one session but she's really amazing. Our next one is tomorrow, can you wait 'till then?” 

“I mean we’ve waited this long, I can hold them off for another day. I’ll just keep going with what your parents said, that you’re sick.” 

“Okay. And hey, Stan?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Thanks for everything.” 

“Awe, don’t get mushy.” Stan paused for a second and Kyle heard a soft clattering noise on the other end but, before he could ask what was up, his friend continued. “Uh, I have to go. Call me later?” 

“Yeah, I’ll call you back soon. I promise." 

“Alright, bye.” 

“Bye.” Kyle hung up and held the phone to his chest for a moment, processing the conversation. 

He was really grateful to Stan for everything he had done for him and after that call he felt more confident about their friendship than ever before. Stan had protected and kept his secret under lockdown for _six whole years_ and maybe that had been a mistake, maybe Kyle should've been upfront about who he was since the beginning since it was inevitable that everyone would find out anyways, but Stan backed him up anyway. He had protected his secret because he asked him to, and even though it was nearly out, he was _still_ supporting him and letting Kyle decide what to do, and Kyle couldn't be more grateful. He didn't know where to begin showing how appreciative he was, but he figured he could start by getting better, like he said he should. 

He got up and put on his hat, finding comfort in it's weight on his head and how the sounds around him were muffled beneath it, bringing him some peace as he pulled out his laptop. The call had given him a new bout of determination and confidence. He didn’t want to feel shame for what he was anymore, he was finally ready to accept it and move forward with his life. He couldn’t wait for his next counseling session and he couldn’t wait to get out of this place and see all his friends again. 

And Cartman… well he was a whole other story, but Kyle felt confident that he could deal with him just fine. Cartman seemed to have become drastically less horrible as he grew up and entered more into adulthood. At worst he was annoying, but he hadn't done anything damnable in the last couple years. Actually, ever since he joined their study group in high school he had become less aggravating everyday. He was still a jerk, he was still annoying, but it was like he finally had a moral compass and had lost his sociopathic and bigoted tendencies he'd had when they were children. He'd become more intelligent and socially conscious as he grew up and, these days, Kyle could legitimately call him a friend and not feel confused or disgusted when he did. 

He started working on the last of his extra credit work. He didn’t want any more distractions; now his goal was to get better, to focus on himself for once. 

There was no other option. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope ya'll don't mind I really like starting chapters with just one sentence. Also AHHASJFHA I'm losing momentum, but a few hundred words a day is still progress!!


	4. Fuck Feelings, Fuck Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other side of the phonecall.

~~0~~

Eric jerked the controller in his hands around in frustration as Mario took yet another swan dive into the hole that had taken his 4th life last round and the room erupted in laughter and jeers as he was lowered to 2 lives left. 

"Fuck this game!" He threw the controller to the floor and Stan shoved his shoulder angrily. 

"Dude, careful!” The alpha chastised with a glare before getting up to grab the abused controller off the floor. “You're gonna break it again!" He looked it over and tested the buttons to make sure they responded correctly as Eric waved a dismissive hand at him. 

"Then I'll get you another one! Also, the people who make these things should make them more durable if they're going to make games this fucking hard!" Everyone groaned and made noises of disbelief at his words and Eric crossed his arms, leaning back against the couch with a scowl. “Whatever. Fuck you all.”

They were having a party at Stan’s house on the farm commemorating their last free time before college; their last days as older teens before they began their new lives as young adults. Although, in Eric’s opinion, he’d been an adult since he was twelve. [Music ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1zaZsCjG0w&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=MusicMakesMe)reverberated softly through the slightly packed room from the bluetooth speaker on Stan’s desk, the room getting slightly hotboxed from the ounces of weed they had been collectively smoking while keeping the window closed. That was Eric’s idea; it would makes all his stuff smell like weed but at this point they were all used to it, and everyone else could shove it. 

The party consisted of Eric, Stan, Kenny, Butters, Token, Craig, Tweek, Clyde and Jimmy. Jimmy and Butters were sitting at Stan’s desk, Butters in a swivel chair and Jimmy on the single sofa next to the desk. Both of them were completely sober, being designated drivers on top of the fact that they just didn’t like smoking, and were having a great time in each other’s company playing go fish. Token sat on Stan’s bed, back against the wall and eyes glued to the Smash Bros match on his Nintendo Switch. He was playing against Craig who had his own switch and was sitting back against the headboard of the bed, Tweek casually laying against him and occasionally sipping from a lidded cup of coffee, scrolling through his phone. Tweek was sober, aside from all the caffeine in his system, while Token and Craig were slightly high and in Eric’s opinion, could use another few bowls. Stan was to Eric’s left on the couch, which was pressed up against his side table next to his bed, and Kenny had gone out for a smoke a good half hour ago. 

"Just accept that you suck!" Clyde heckled from the where he was sunk into the beanbag that had been moved from the corner of Stan's room to right beside the bed and Eric pulled a Craig and flipped him off with both hands. 

"Fuck off, Clyde! Like you could do any better!" 

"Maybe I _could_ if you’d let somebody _else_ have a turn." 

“He’s right Cartman, you started off with _ten_ lives, remember?” Stan cut in, continuing in a sarcastic tone. “Thanks for losing all of those, by the way.” 

“Ugh,” Eric scoffed as Stan handed the controller off to the brunet who struggled to climb out of the beanbag's grip and face the screen. “Yeah, I guess. Give it your best shot, beta bitch.” 

Clyde shot him a glare before starting to pick a level to play. “Alpha ass.” 

“Beta bastard.” 

“Alpha _asstard._ ” 

“Beta _bottom_.” Butters and Jimmy laughed while Craig whistled and Token hooted; Clyde’s face turning red in embarrassment. 

“At least I _have_ someone to fuck!” 

“Carman _toootally_ fucshks, dude!” Eric suddenly felt Kenny slump himself against his right side, arm thrown around his shoulders and breath smelling like whiskey and cigarettes. He smirked up at the drunken alpha mischievously. 

“Welcome back from the smoke break, Ken.” 

“Kenny! Did you drink my dad’s whiskey _again?!_ ” Stan cried out but Kenny went on slurring his words to Clyde like Stan wasn’t even there. 

“At leasht he’s fucked more ‘an _one person!_ ” Clyde seemed to become completely invested in the Mario game, content to ignore the alpha ganging up on him. 

“Hey come on guys, Bebe is a great alpha,” Token said, trying to back Clyde up although his eyes didn’t leave his switch. He sounded genuine, but Craig decided to ruin his sincerity. 

“Yeah, I’m sure the sex is worth all the shoes.” The room erupted in laughter as Clyde paused the game and tossed the controller back to Stan, falling back on the beanbag chair and staring up at the ceiling lifelessly. 

“You guys are assholes," he said as Stan took back the controller, giving the beta a sympathetic look. 

“Oh, so it’s _not_ that worth it?” Kenny piped up again and Clyde flipped him off with one hand making the blonde alpha chuckle and Eric snickered with him. But, Eric could tell the beta was getting more and more pissy so he pushed Kenny off of him, the alpha flopping back onto the couch as he got up and selected one of the many bongs lined atop the shelving on the wall above the t.v. He filled the bowl accompanying it with weed from one of the many grinders opened up on Stan’s desk, cutting through Butters' and Jimmy’s game momentarily, and poured a little keef on top to give it a bit more kick. 

“You guys are _assholes_ ,” Clyde grumbled again, running his hands over his face up into his hair before jumping as Eric whistled sharply for his attention. 

“Ay, shut up and take a rip,” he ordered as he brought the bong over and handed it to the beta, who took it despite his sour mood. “You may be a bottom bitch, but you’re _our_ bottom bitch, bitch.” 

“Wow, thanks.” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but he took the hit for a few good seconds before holding it out for someone to take, which Kenny strained forward to grab but Eric slapped his hands away and took it himself. 

“Kenny, two substances a night, not three,” the brunet said before continuing to take the bowl as well as his seat on the couch. 

“But daaaaad! Nic-tine isn't even a substant!” Whined Kenny, looking pleadingly up at him with hazy, dark blue eyes but Eric just raised a brow at him while he held in the hit. 

“You calling me daddy?” He breathed out the words with the smoke and everyone in the room made a disgusted noise. Kenny just laughed drunkenly and fell back into the corner of the couch next to him, his hood coming up over his head and Eric shoved it down onto his face as if he were ruffling his hair. “That’s what I thought!” 

Stan groaned at Kenny's antics, pausing the game to dry wash his face and hold his head in his hands. “Dude, my dad’s going to be pissed...” Eric groaned loudly and slapped the moaning alpha on the shoulder, making him yelp. “Ouch!” 

“I’ll replace the bottle! Damn, why are you being so _pissy_ tonight? It’s Friday! One of the last Fridays before college starts! Get your head out of your ass!” 

“What _he_ said!” Kenny added, flinging his hand in the air and pointing at the ceiling. He was probably trying to point at Eric, but he missed by a long shot. Stan looked from them both back to the game, picking up the controller again with furrowed brows. 

“I’m just worried about Kyle.” 

“Kyle?” Butters asked, looking over at Stan worriedly. “Well, isn’t he sick? Also, any fives?” He turned the last question to Jimmy who shook his head. 

“Go _f-f-f-fish_.” 

“Rats.” Butters added a card to his hand and Stan readjusted himself in his seat uncomfortably. 

“Yeah, he’s sick. Hasn’t called me in a w- a while.” Eric noticed the hiccup in his speech and gave him a sideways look, raising one of his brows suspiciously. 

The black haired alpha had been pissy and apprehensive the whole night, from start to present; dusk to near dawn. At first he’d had a few hits and matched the energy of the other guys partying as well, but it still felt half hearted and eventually he’d started becoming more of a supervisor instead of a host. He sat in his corner of the couch and kept bringing out and putting away his phone and Eric had guessed he was in the doghouse with Wendy. But, while he did seem anxious, he didn’t look guilty. No, he was _worried,_ and when he mentioned Kyle, Eric realized in his own way he also shared that worry. And as he looked around, he realized everyone _else_ did as well. As soon as Kyle’s name was mentioned, Token glanced up to look between Butters and Stan for a moment before going back to his game. Tweek made a frustrated, strangled sound before taking a long sip from his coffee and Craig ran a hand through his hair as if to soothe him, playing his game with one hand for a moment. Butters and Jimmy shared a worried look and Kenny growled under his hoodie solemnly. 

And Eric, well... he’d only had two and a half bowls that night. And now he was going to have another, and then another, because fuck feelings. 

_Fuck feelings, fuck feelings,_ he chanted in his mind as he slapped his knees and got up once again, refilling the bowl for himself. “I’m sure that beta jew is fine,” he said, right before lighting and taking a long hit, still standing. 

“I mean, how sick is he?” Butters asked Stan and the alpha's cobalt gaze glanced over to him before focusing back on the screen. 

“Not- It’s not that bad. He’s got, like the flu, but it’s taking a while to fuck off, you know?” His phone’s ringer suddenly went off in his pocket and he paused the game quickly to pull it out. When he saw the screen, his eyes widened and he practically jumped out of his seat. 

“ _Wendy’s calling, brb!_ ” He yelped as he tossed the controller in his hand on Clyde's lap and flew out of the room; gone before anyone had even registered what he'd said. 

“...whipped,” Craig said after a moment as Clyde took the controller, this time without criticism, and started up where Stan had left off and everyone snickered, the moment passing. Eric filled another bowl for himself after his was turned to ash and sunk down onto the floor in front of the couch, relenting his seat to Kenny's legs. He watched the screen as Clyde played and his head became lighter as his high intensified with a vengeance. 

“Poor old Kyle,” Butters said as he and Jimmy went back to their game and Eric felt a touch of needless resentment that the topic of discussion had yet to change. “I remember he used to get sick a lot.” The blonde omega slouched in the swivel chair, brows furrowed up in concern and shoulders nearly coming up to his ears. “Why, in all my years I only got sick a handful of times but he got sick at least twice a year… Got any twos?” Jimmy handed him a card and he added it to his pile of pairs with a dopey smile.

“Guess his immune system hasn’t learned shit,” Eric mumbled, congratulating himself on not blaming his “inferior jew genes” like he would’ve if he were ten, or drunk in the present day. God he hated alcohol. “He better be back soon though, or else we’ll never get into college.” 

“What do you mean _we?_ ” Token asked. “I’m already all signed up and got _my_ scholarships in order. Have for a while.” He leaned forward and started pressing buttons sporadically before jerking his switch forward and groaning. “Ah, damnit!” 

“Ha ha,” Craig gloated in his monotone voice. “But yeah I’m all set too. Wanna play again?” 

“Sure.” 

“I’m all set too!” Tweek mimicked through gritted teeth. “It was a lot of pressure, but Kyle helped me out like- forever ago! Gh!” 

“Seriously? Damnit!” Eric threw his hands up before slouching into the couch and sighing miserably. “Kenny, what about you?” 

“I finished everthing lassweek, the lash time,” he slurred, raising a hand and pointing it at the ceiling before pointing both hands at himself. “I’m _gold_.” 

“Well shit. I bet Stan did too.”

“Bingo,” Kenny finger gunned him and Eric rolled his eyes. 

“Well h-hey now fellas, why don’t we _vieh…_ why don’t we v- _viiiiieeh…_ why don’t we v- _video_ call him?” Jimmy said after adding another pair to his pile. He was winning. “I’m sure it’ll make him f-feel better if we checked in.” 

“Wow Jimmy, that’s a great idea!” Butters concurred excitedly. “Even better, we could make him a get well basket with a bunch of candy and soaps!” 

“Butters, that is the gayest thing you’ve ever said, this week,” Eric responded flatly and Butters pouted. 

“Yeah, that’s a little much,” Token agreed. “A video call sounds cool though.” 

“Should we do it now?” Clyde asked, dilated stare set on the television.

“No way dude, it’s way past the middle of the night. Let’s wait till tomorrow, he’s probably asleep.” All the boys made sounds of agreement at Token’s plan and the beta paused the game to point at Eric’s bong, his second bowl still untouched. "Hey Cartman, can I take that bowl?" 

"Ah sure," Eric got up and handed the bong over to Token before turning for the door. "I wanna get myself a sandwich anyway." 

"Gemme one too," Kenny slurred, though he looked like he was about to pass out and Eric rolled his eyes, calling out behind him as he walked out. 

"If you're not awake when I get back, it's up for dibs!" 

"Schallenge essepted!" Eric laughed as he left the room and headed downstairs for the kitchen.

Stan still lived out on his dad’s farm but it worked out for the boys because they could party and smoke out there as much as they wanted with basically an endless amount of weed and no complaints from neighbors because there weren’t any for miles. The farm ended up being a safe space for them all as Randy didn’t care to restrict them, letting “boys be boys”, as he said on occasion, with minimal restrictions as long as they were responsible and let him know when they were doing what. 

Stan’s mom had moved away with his older sister years ago and was planning on letting Stan stay at her apartment while he went to college so he wouldn’t have to pay for dorms, even though he was getting a huge scholarship thanks to his football career and could definitely afford one. Stan didn’t plan on becoming a football star when he graduated, but he enjoyed playing and it paid for his schooling so he figured he might as well keep it going. Eric also had to give him credit, he was a pretty decent player. As bad as living with his mom while in college sounded, he probably just wanted to spend more time with the other half of his family before he moved out in a few years, since he primarily lived with his dad by choice. Eric guessed it was most likely a temporary arrangement since Wendy had a sick apartment in a great part of town, a little far from the campus but well worth the twenty minute drive, and they seemed like they had their shit together enough to move in together at some point. 

And although most of the boys were already moved into dorms which were miles away, they all still planned to meet up at the farm every once in a while to let loose, and Randy was happy to hear it. Eric sometimes thought the man was lonely, working his farm with just his employees while being divorced with the kids either moved out or about to move out. It had to be a rough time for the older alpha, but Eric was glad to party at his house every once in a while to make him feel needed. 

Eric, of course, had his apartment above Kupa Club, _his_ club, which was fairly close to the college so he didn’t need a dorm. He was taking a few online classes so he could work from home and still be close to his business, which was still getting a foothold in it’s particular field, but he also signed up for mostly in-person afternoon classes so he could still hang out with his friends. The apartment was great, fairly classy and private, and his only complaint would have to be the loud ass people and thumping music that played until 2am, three days a week. But, those people paid his paycheck and every once in a while he would also be down there partying as well, sometimes bringing an omega up to that apartment and having some fun of his own, so it was worth the noise. 

The last time he’d had some “fun”, however, Kyle had gotten mad at him and nearly kicked him out, so he hadn’t been down to the club since then. He admitted, it was a shitty thing to do, bring a horny omegas scent to his house and spread it all over the Jew’s place, but the part of him that wanted Kyle’s attention was seemingly _joyous_ at the fact that it ticked the beta off that much. Which was why, he guessed, he wasn’t in too much of a rush to get it off him on his way over to his house. 

Watching the red heads' nose scrunch up at the scent and seeing those emerald eyes glaring at him basically all night was satisfying in a way he knew others would call terrible, but he found _delicious_. Not to mention cute. 

_Wait no,_ he stopped his train of thought as he found it heading in a weird direction, making him pause at the threshold to the kitchen. He felt his eyes shining gold and closed them with a shake of his head, willing them back to brown and blue. _Fuck feelings, fuck feelings,_ he chanted again, pushing the stupid endearing thoughts out of his mind. His therapist wouldn’t be too happy about his denial once again rearing its head, but fuck him and fuck feelings. 

That beta jew would never feel the same. 

He grabbed the bagged loaf of bread on the counter, not really caring what kind it was because of his munchies, and started reaching for the drawer with the silverware to grab a butter knife but paused as he heard Stan’s voice just outside the sliding glass door leading out to the extensive backyard. 

"...you’ll get used to it, it just takes time.” Talking to his girlfriend probably. Craig was right, that guy was totally whipped. Had been since 6th grade. He pulled out the drawer and brought out a butter knife but nearly dropped it at the alphas next words. 

“I think your health is a bit more important than school, Kyle.” 

_Kyle? What the fuck?_ He slowly put the knife down on the counter and got closer to the door, finding it cracked slightly open. Apparently, neither he or Stan had bothered to turn on the lights in the kitchen, so he was completely shrouded in darkness as he pressed himself against the wall next to the door and started eavesdropping, completely unabashed. 

_I thought he said he was talking to Wendy. If it’s just Kyle, why lie about it?_ He thought while Stan snickered on the porch. 

“Yeah and knowing you, you probably signed up for the hardest classes, huh?” Yeah, that was definitely Kyle, the overachieving bastard. He was too smart for his own good. Stan paused for a moment and Eric had to strain to hear the high hum of Kyle’s voice on the other end, but he couldn’t make anything out. 

“Hey, no it is not! This was going to happen eventually.” Wait- what was? “I’m sure you’ll be able to stand missing the first week of school, if you tell them what's up they'll probably give you a pass for having a sudden medical emergency. And hey, maybe the teachers will record their classes so you can watch them from home and stuff. It’ll work out, you should just work on getting better.”

Well that was a lot to unpack. What was bound to happen? Him getting _sick?_ He was going to miss school? Sudden medical emergency? He felt his eyes shining gold again in frustration and had to keep a frustrated growl from slipping out and giving himself away. 

“No problem. Super best friends for life?” Eric held in his scoff but couldn't help rolling his eyes. They were so cheesy. 

“Uh… but also… when are you going to tell everyone? About… you know?” Oh, _this_ sounded juicy. About what? Damnit, he really wished he was in the loop! Fuck their stupid friendship. 

_He should be talking to me!_ His inner alpha raged through the haze of his high. His instinctive thoughts and primal urges really calmed when he smoked, but all this shit about Kyle all of a sudden had his possessive side scratching at the walls of his mind. _I should confront him! Go find him and make him talk!_

 _Fuck feelings, fuck feelings,_ he chanted over the urges rising in him and put a hand over his mouth to keep the growls in. 

“They won’t hate you. They’re worried as hell about you. I just… I don’t know what to say until you’re back. Should I start telling people myself?” Oh shit were they _fucking?_ The thought had him biting the fleshy part of his thumb angrily, the pain a distraction to keep him from growling but the anger still shone through his smoldering gold irises. He’d considered it a possibility in the past, but he never figured Stan to have the balls to cheat on his hot, Harvard-status alpha girlfriend. She’d drag his name through the mud for one, also that would be very out of character for him. Also he'd always said he liked _alphas-_

"Your counselor?” Stan sounded confused, and Eric was too. He halted his derailing train of thought again as he focused on listening, dropping his aching hand from his mouth. That was going to leave a mark. 

“I mean we’ve waited this long, I can hold them off for another day. I’ll just keep going with what your parents said; that you’re sick.” 

Wait… was he not actually sick? Were they fucking? This all sounded very suspicious- he was _missing_ something and it was pissing him off! 

“Yeah? …Awe, don’t get mushy.” It sounded like the conversation was coming to a close so he decided to go back to making his sandwich. Unfortunately, like a moron, he’d been staring out onto the porch where the light was on and he couldn’t see shit when he looked back into the dark kitchen. As he reached out blindly for the butter knife, he accidentally slid it off the counter and it made a deafening noise in the previously silent kitchen as it clattered to the ground. He didn’t hesitate, however, and swooped down quickly to pick it up. It was no time to be caught like a deer in the headlights. 

“Uh, I have to go. Call me later?” _Shit, shit, shit, shit!_ He scrambled to start searching the cupboards for peanut butter and jam, trying to act natural while also willing his eyes back to their mismatched colors. As if he wanted to be caught fucking _eavesdropping_. 

His eyes were still an angry gold as he heard Stan say a muffled farewell and he breathed deeply to calm himself down as the door started to slide open. He felt them change back just as the other alpha entered the kitchen and turned to find the other staring at him with noticeable alarm. 

“Oh hey dude,” the brunet greeted nonchalantly, brushing off Stan's tense posture with a casual nod of acknowledgement before turning back to the cabinet, squinting. “Could you turn on the light? I’m so blazed I forgot to and can’t find the peanut butter." 

“Uh… yeah…” He went over to the entrance to the kitchen and flipped a switch, the dark room suddenly flooding with light and making Eric groan.

“ _Damn,_ that’s bright!” He grmbled as he rubbed his eyes, genuinely blinded, before blinking them open again and seeing the peanut butter right in front of him. He grabbed it off the shelf and shut the cabinet. “Sweet. Now where’s the jam?” 

“Uh, in the fridge...” Eric proceeded to get it as Stan stepped forward, air tense around him, but the brunet acted as if he didn’t notice. “Hey, uh… did you hear me talking out there?” 

“As if I want to hear about your relationship problems,” Eric deflected easily, beginning to make two sandwiches now that he had all the parts needed. “I just came down to quell the cravings.” 

“So... you didn’t?” Stan pressed again, getting closer still and Eric rolled his eyes, both genuinely and as an act. 

“ _No._ I didn’t hear shit. Why? Was she telling you to see a doctor about your tiny penis?” He asked, changing the topic and scrutinizing the other alpha up and down with a raised brow. Stan’s tense, suspicious stance turned defensive and angry at his comment, which was exactly what he wanted. 

“No, you dick! It was just- personal, relationship shit. Something you wouldn’t understand.” Youch. A bit harsh of a comeback compared to an average insult at his manhood. But, like everything, Eric just let it roll off his shoulders as he slapped the pairs of bread with their respective coatings together, finishing them both. 

“Still a higher body count than you. And now, you don’t get a sandwich.” The taller alpha bit into one of the said sandwiches as he passed Stan and started heading upstairs, leaving the black haired alpha in the kitchen and taking his time so it didn’t seem rushed. 

The adrenaline from eavesdropping and the context of the one sided conversation had sobered him up a bit, which was annoying, and he couldn’t wait to get back in that damned room and smoke three bowls in a row to get his inner alpha to calm the fuck _down_. 

He’d had a rocky relationship with his primal side ever since it presented itself as early as age ten; way earlier than most kids would be classified. For the first few years, he’d just gone along with whatever it said and acted on whatever feelings arose from inside him, rather than try to understand them. Throughout the rest of elementary and all through middle school he just blurted things out, acted without thought and eventually his friends started to avoid him with vigor. He took that in stride, of course, not really minding or caring as at that point in his life he had considered himself and the guys as a pack and he was an alpha in it. He'd even had this delusion that he was the leader, but in reality the others _hated_ him and he found himself alone more than supported. Another delusion he had was that he _liked_ to be alone, but really he just liked not being judged, which he felt only happened when he was by himself. 

It was after his mother and his therapist forced him to go to a camp for troubled alphas that he realized he had to change. He managed to wrangle in this other side of him, he began to understand it, and he learned some things about himself he would’ve rather not… but he knew he was better for it. 

He was able to break through his delusions and start learning how to be a better person there, not to mention a better alpha, but he never told anyone that he went. The only person who did know was Kenny, but he didn’t know _everything_. He just wanted someone to know that he was _trying,_ and Kenny was the right person at the time. 

He’d have to sort through what he heard later, but for now he wanted to forget it. So, when he walked in the room and found everyone right where he left them, he decided to amp up the vibe. 

“Who wamts de sanbwibch?” He called out around a mouthful of his already half eaten snack and Kenny shot up off the couch. 

“ _Still awake asshole!_ ” He shouted, much louder than necessary and everyone looked up at him as if he were disturbing the peace. They probably thought he had passed out, but Eric knew he could count on Kenny to keep the spirit alive. 

“Good, cause we’re taking bowls!” He stuck the extra sandwich in Kenny’s mouth and quickly withdrew his hand as the blonde alpha tore into it like a hungry animal, energy returning after the power nap he most likely just had. Eric pulled two bongs off the wall and held them up, standing in front of the screen and making a whining Clyde lean to see, the beta too blazed to think of pausing it instead. “Get in a circle assholes! You’re all too sober for my taste!” 

“Yeah, smash isn’t that fun with two players anyway,” Token said as he put his switch to the side and reached for his backpack at the end of the bed. He rummaged around in it for a moment before pulling out a whole X-Box One and two joystick controllers. “How about we all play? I brought two controllers and combined with the two Stan has and me and Craig’s switches, we can do a six-way!”

“I like the idea but hate the way you said it. Either way, thank _god_ for the rich!” Token gave him a bland look but the brunet just plopped down on the ground and slapped the floor with a smirk. “Bowls then brawl, how bout it?” 

“Ooh-wee! That sounds fun, I’ll set up the system!” Butters said enthusiastically as he got up and walked over to Token, picking up the console with a smile. “I just lost anyway!” 

“And then maybe we can play some _wh-_... play some wh- _wee_ … play some _wh- wii_ _sports_ ,” Jimmy added and Eric nodded. 

“Bowls then brawl then bowling, sounds like a plan,” he agreed as Token and Craig perched on the edge of the bed at his command. He refilled Token and Clyde's bowls and handed a bong to Craig, Tweek curling up next to the grey eyed alpha though his eyes were still stuck on his phone as Craig took a hit off his bong. 

Stan walked in just as Butters had finished setting up the system. Craig and Tweek had gone right back to cuddling on the bed after Craig had two bowls, his Nintendo Switch forgotten and free for Butters to use. Meanwhile, Kenny, Eric, and Jimmy were lined on the couch, each with a controller connected to the x-box. Token had gone back to his spot on the bed, eyes hazier as he tried connecting the console to his switch. 

“Care to join, lover boy?” Eric taunted and a few of the boys snickered as Stan rolled his eyes and dropped to the floor in front of the couch. He grabbed a forgotten bong and filled it's accompanying bowl with weed from one of the grinders that had ended up on the floor. 

“Sure, I could use a few bowls.” 

“That’s the spirit!” 

Eric noticed the way his posture had loosened and his worry had dissipated after that phone call and his alpha wanted to stare him down for the fact that he knew what was _really_ up with Kyle and how he was leaving everyone else in the dark. 

It was infuriating. 

But, he carried on filling bowls and playing smash ultimate like it _wasn’t_ going to keep him up all damn night. He could deal with all that shit later. 

He chanted those two words every time those stupid, _maddening_ hazel eyes came to mind. 

Fuck feelings, fuck feelings... 

He would never feel the same. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I kind of gave up on the console part cause I've been working on this chapter for so long so if nintendo switch doesn't actually work with xbox one idgaf at this point asjfhaksjfhg might fix it in the future idk  
> Thank you all for reading, your comments and kudos make this fun to write! <3 <3 <3


	5. Coming Out Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle spills the tea.

~~0~~

Kyle had been itching to get to their next session, but now that he was in the thick of it he was finding it to be a really hard and revealing conversation. Their session had started with him asking her opinion on how he should go about telling his friends that he was an omega, but unlike their first meeting where she had only given answers, now all she had to offer were questions. 

Instead of giving a direct answer to his question, she instead asked why he had never told them what he was in the first place. Kyle beat around the bush for a while, but he could tell from her unrelenting blue gaze that she wasn’t believing any of his bullshit and he ended up reverting to a long winded rant about, you guessed it, Cartman. 

As he ranted, he kept putting all the blame on Cartman and he tried to explain that he believed the alpha would have made his life a living hell if he knew, so Dr. Strong, like a true therapist, asked why his opinion meant that much to him. He said it  _ didn't  _ matter to him, not  _ now _ , but while his friends were good to him in the present there were times in the past where Cartman had gotten the others on his side and sometimes got them to turn against him over small things. But, she retorted, did he really think they would turn against him for  _ this? _ And deep down… he  _ knew  _ they wouldn't. 

After that, she asked if there was another reason that he didn't want anyone to know. He went quiet at this and she continued; maybe he didn't want anyone to know because  _ he _ didn't like the thought of being an omega? And he snorted at this, because of _ course _ he didn't want to be an omega. And then he paused. 

He  _ didn't _ want to be an omega. 

It had been something he'd always sort of known; wishing in his head that he was born different, beating it into his mind that he  _ wasn't  _ an omega so he could make everyone else believe it as well. It was the first time he realized, truly and fully, that he  _ loathed _ that part of himself, and she asked him why he thought that was. 

And then the words just started flowing and he went in a deep, emotional monologue about how omegas were looked down upon and used, about how they were abused to the point where they had fucking rehabilitation centers made for them, about how they weren't even allowed to decide what they wanted to do with their bodies because of abortion laws and voting laws and discrimination and sexism. He was angry and disgusted by the lengthy history detailing how it had been this way for generation upon generation; omegas being shamed or controlled with change only happening in barely the last century. 

And he was terrified, to the point of hiding himself even  _ from himself _ , that he would be looked down upon or used and tossed aside as well, simply because his main physical difference was that he could have children and go into heat. 

And there they sat, his speech finished, both processing his words and the feelings behind them. After a minute Dr. Strong broke the tense silence, though she didn’t seem to be tense at all as she dropped a heavy question onto his already wearing conscious. 

"Do you want to keep hating this part of yourself, Kyle?" She asked simply, and his answer should've been immediate, but it wasn't. 

"No…” He looked down at his hands in his lap. He was sitting cross legged on one of her couches, the other seating Dr. Strong across from him. “I’ve always sort of known it’s who I am and I’ll have to accept it… I just wish it wasn't real…" 

She hummed and nodded as he trailed off, writing down another note. 

"I'm interested in this Cartman character," she said then, making him blink at the sudden topic change. He looked up and cocked his head at her questioningly.

"What? Why?" 

"It seems to me like you value his opinion quite highly.” He looked at her like she was crazy. “From my perspective, it seems like you projected your anger and frustration of what you are onto him so you wouldn't have to accept it, right?" 

He thought for a second before giving a small nod. 

"Yeah… I guess so…" 

“And it sounds like it was made easier for you to do so because you two seem to have a sort of rivalry. But then, why do you value his opinion so much?” 

“Well he… we’re not  _ rivals _ ,” Kyle said, conflicted. “I mean… we’re friends  _ now _ , it’s just... he’s always sort of… been a thorn in my side?” He gave her a look, asking if she understood what he meant and Dr. Strong nodded, encouraging him to continue. “I mean, we argue a lot and he  _ loves  _ to piss me off, but… I still consider us friends because when he’s not being a jerk he’s actually a really capable person.” Kyle thought back to all the times Cartman had been there for him aside from when they were hanging out with others as a group. Most of the time Cartman had hung out with him because he had something to gain from him, but there were also lots of memories where they had just hung out and enjoyed each other's company; especially in recent years. “Don’t get me wrong, he used to be a horrible person, but at some point he changed. These days he’s almost nice; abrasive and not very thoughtful but… I don’t know…” 

“Would you say you respect him, as a person?” 

He paused for a few seconds, brows furrowed in thought, before nodding. He had never really taken the time to look back on his relationship with Cartman, especially not the lighter side of it. “Yeah... I think... I do. He’s pretty smart when you think about it. He’s got his own business and his own apartment and he’s going to college for a business major. You know, when we were kids, he was always making businesses so he could make ten million dollars.” He chuckled a little, remembering Cartman Burger and his Parental Revenge Center. “And whenever we pretended we were in a business, he was usually the one running it.” Dr. Strong smiled at his recollections from childhood. “But, he’s still a jerk…" He continued, now looking down and rubbing his arm a little. "I’m kind of scared of how he’ll react to me being an omega the most...” 

“I think it would serve you well to rip the band aid off as soon as possible,” Dr. Strong said, finally answering his question from the beginning and he looked at her almost in distraught, gripping the sleeve of his long-sleeve shirt nervously. “Omegas need a good network of people who they can lean on for support, in fact everyone does. It serves omegas better, however, to have multiple communities they can lean on such as family, friends or even coworkers. Although I haven’t heard much, it sounds like this person is a strong presence in your life who you value and respect, despite his many flaws.” Kyle blinked at her words. 

“Y-yeah…” 

“And if he or your friends react badly to who you really are, you could either work through it or let them go. You may be scared to tell them, but whatever happens I guarantee you’ll be stronger for it.” Kyle took a second to absorb her words while she wrote a few more things down on her clipboard. Somehow, after one hard conversation, he felt better about his friends, more in touch with himself, and somehow thought Cartman wasn’t that much of a  _ threat  _ anymore. It was like a weight had been lifted both off his chest and his mind. She was right, he should just tell them. The sooner he did, the sooner he could start living more  _ freely _ . 

“We should talk a bit about your pheromone therapy.” Kyle snapped back to attention as she spoke again and she leveled her genial stare with his once more. “I see you’re not as sensitive to my scent today?” 

“Yeah,” he smiled. “I went outside the other day so I could get used to nature, like you said.” 

“And how was that?” 

“Really good!” He exclaimed, genuinely happy about his experience and her interest. “Everything smells a lot different than before. Like, a lot more vibrant, you know? Also, I don’t really smell the nurses as much, unless I focus on it.” 

“That’s great,” she said, voice ever gentle and smile soft. “And how about your mother? I know you had some trouble during her visits because her scent was too strong?” 

Kyle sighed, smile slipping a bit sadly. “I haven’t really seen her aside from when I first got here, but she said she’s going to bring me some of my clothes and some of my dad and brother's stuff so I can get used to their pheromones before I go home.” 

“That’s good. You should also have her deliver some of your friends things, though maybe do your family and friends on different days so your instincts can sort them out easier.” 

"Yeah, okay." He gave her a placid smile, realizing he was relaxing for the first time since he walked in. Dr. Strong looked down at her watch and Kyle wondered suddenly how long they had been talking. 

"Well, it looks like we have a bit of time left. I'd like to work with you a bit on boundaries, particularly how omegas assert themselves when someone else attempts to overpower them with their pheromones. I feel like this would benefit you massively since scents are so new to you. How does that sound?" 

Kyle closed his mouth after realizing he was basically salivating at her suggestion before nodding enthusiastically. He had no idea that was something  _ else _ omegas had to deal with, but it made sense and explained why some omegas were afraid of alphas before they even  _ met  _ them. Maybe they could discern a person's character from their pheromones  _ as well as _ how they used them. 

And when a certain alpha came to mind, one who was always in his face and trying to rile him up, his determination to learn more about himself and become a strong omega grew like a wild flame in his chest. 

"Yeah. Let's do it." 

Dr. Strong nodded and she began her explanation. 

~~~~~

Kyle flopped back on his bed, body and mind spent. 

He had learned a lot about himself today, for one thing he realized he actually respected Cartman, in some sense, on top of the fact that he… well he hated his omega side, and thus also himself. But now that it had been brought to light, now that he realized he was punishing himself for something he couldn’t control, he had decided to make a conscious change to his state of mind, because he  _ didn’t  _ want to hate himself. There was so much about omegas that he didn’t bother to look into simply because he didn’t want to accept it applying to him. For example, today he learned that omegas could actually  _ hide _ their own pheromones when in a fearful state by slowing their heartbeat and calming their mind. It was a tactic generally used for when an omega wanted to run and not be traceable after they reached a certain point and honestly, it was some pretty genius physiology. 

On the point of boundaries, Dr. Strong had talked with him about emotions. She gave him a long lecture on what to do when he felt an emotion coming on as well as tips on what to say to himself when he felt at his worst. If he was in a crowded place and he felt an emotion about to burst, she told him how to control his pheromones and advised that he wait until he found a safe place to experience it freely and without shame. In a moment of intense emotion, she suggested that he just let the thoughts flow and sort out their meaning after he had let the emotion have it’s time with him, and he listened to her words with rapt attention. 

Because nobody had really taught him how to cry before. 

When he had asked what emotions had to do with boundaries, she readjusted herself in her seat and gave him a level stare. Kyle had noticed she was pretty keen on keeping eye contact. 

“Emotions have  _ everything  _ to do with boundaries, Kyle. If we don’t pay attention to our emotions, we become less and less in touch with ourselves to the point where they become too hard to bear, too hard to even think about. We can become broken, sometimes in a way that can’t be fixed. Your relationship between your mind and body should be the  _ strongest  _ of any you have. It’s where your character, your  _ conviction  _ comes from. If you don’t care for yourself and let others tell you how to think or feel, then you forget who you are and where you stand. I may be too heavy on individualism or independence, but the bottom line is that you  _ must  _ be in touch with yourself so you know what you want and what you don’t want. And how you react to what you want or don’t want,  _ those  _ are boundaries. I can tell already that you have a great relationship between your body and mind, but there has been this one part of you that you’ve been completely out of touch with. You may already know your boundaries and your stance on many other things in life but I want you to focus on this  _ new  _ part of you, on what  _ it  _ feels, what  _ it  _ wants. Because it’s a part of you, a primal part but it’s you nonetheless, just wanting to be in the loop.” 

He laid on that bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything she had said and honestly, he was glad he had another three days before their next session. As much as he appreciated her words and admired her character, he needed time to process; to do as she said and get in touch with this other part of himself. This side that he was just starting to get to know. 

He closed his eyes and listened… 

_ I like her, _ that part of him thought, and he snorted. It sounded like a child.  _ She understands. She makes me feel understood.  _

“Yeah, she understands,” he agreed, speaking to no one but feeling a jovial fluttering in his gut. Talking to himself, it felt weird, but… he didn’t feel as alone in the empty white room in that moment. 

And then he jumped from the bed with a squeak, as though he’d been caught doing something embarrassing, as his phone started vibrating on the side table next to the bed, making a clattering noise on the hardwood. 

He sighed and snatched it up as if it had offended him and blinked at the name on the screen, noting the multiple text message symbols on the notification bar at the top of the screen before accepting the call. 

“Hey dude.” 

“Hey, do you have your laptop around?” Stan asked tightly, sounding a little breathy though Kyle couldn’t tell if it was because of panic or annoyance. 

“Uh, yeah why?” He asked, pulling out his sleek black laptop out of the confines of the side table drawer and booting it up without prompting. 

“Oh nothing, just uh...  _ read my texts, _ ” he said the last part through his teeth under his breath before hanging up abruptly and Kyle pulled back to look at the phone with a raised brow. He exited the end call screen to read his texts and tensed up a bit as he did. 

**From: Stan**

_ hey dude, the guys are gnna call u in a bit, when is ur session over or when does it start so I can stall? - 1:53pm _

_ they wanna call on ur laptop - 2:07pm _

_ on skype  _

_ do u even still have skype??? - 2:09pm _

_ pls say no idk if the place ur in looks like a hospital or not cause thats where ive been saying ur at!! - 2:14pm _

_ DUDE - 2:28pm _

_ THEY’RE GONNA MAKE ME CALL U - 2:29pm _

_ DUUUUDE - 2:35pm _

_ if u don t pick up theyre gonna go to ur house and ask ur mom wauts up - 2:40pm _

The last one was three minutes ago. He hadn’t noticed because he’d turned his phone off for the session, which ended up being two hours long. 

_ FUCK, _ he thought with panic as his Skype started booting up, and yes he still fucking had it and he wished he didn’t.  But as he recognized his panic he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing his eyes and thinking back to what Dr. Strong had  _ just  _ told him to do. 

_ Recognize the feeling, then let it go.  _

_ Just rip off the bandaid.  _

A second later he was getting a skype call from Butters, he had already missed three, and he clicked the accept call button with barely a second of hesitation. 

What appeared before him was all his friends clumped together to fit in the screen, most of them looking bored but their faces lighting up as he connected. There was Kenny, Token, Craig, Tweek, Clyde, Jimmy, Butters and… Cartman, all gathered around the dining table at Mr. Marsh’s house; he could tell from the old style wallpaper in the kitchen.

Butters was in the middle of them all, mismatched blue and white eyes squinting at the screen before brightening as Kyle connected his laptop camera. 

“Hey, there he is! Hi, Kyle!” The blonde omega exclaimed and all the boys cheered, a smile twisting the redheads mouth sheepishly as they all greeted him at almost the same time. 

“Hey dude!” 

“Sup Kyle!” 

“S-s-sup homed-dog.” 

“What’s going on man?” 

“Hi Kyle.” 

“Erk-! Hey Kyle! Gh-h!” 

“Sup, Jew.” 

“Wow hey guys!” Kyle said with a chuckling lilt to his voice, though his nerves were a mess on the inside. “What’s the occasion?” 

“We hadn’t heard from you in a while and wanted to check in! Why didn’t you answer the first few times?” Butters asked innocently and Kyle’s mind started racing for excuses. 

“Yeah, aren’t you a workaholic?" Clyde asked, leaning over Butters a little to inspect the green eyed boy’s image on the screen suspiciously and the blonde omega puffed his cheeks indignantly as he was squished. "You're usually glued to your laptop, nerd.”

“Yeah, I finished all my work a while ago,” he said, wringing his hands together where the camera couldn’t see. “I’ve been focusing on, like, recovering, uh...” 

_ I wanna tell them, _ that little voice piped up inside his head and he blinked, his chest clenching both with longing and fear. _ I wanna be with my friends.  _

He looked over his friends faces and felt the fear start to ebb away as reassuring thoughts began to spur. He was stuck in a facility miles from them, and they didn’t even know it. He’d had a panic attack a week ago, his first ever, and could now smell things he couldn’t before and they had no idea. The only one who did know, who had known since the beginning, was Stan, standing slightly towards the back. He was affected by this just as much as Kyle was, it was written all over his face. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was obviously trying to look relaxed, even though his eyes screamed how much he felt they were on thin ice. It wasn’t even his secret to keep, but he did. Kyle wanted to just let the ice break, the water was most likely not even that cold underneath the cover of his six year old lie. 

But then there was Cartman. He was sat next to Butters, Kenny on the blonde's other side who was giving Clyde a dirty look after elbowing him off the poor omega, almost protectively. Cartman wasn’t all that easy to read, most of the time, but now Kyle could see past his bored posture and noticed the searching look in his eyes. He could most likely already tell that he wasn’t in a hospital bed, or room, or clothes and was about ready to start questioning him in a dramatic, uncomfortable manner; ready to out him. 

But Kyle wouldn’t give him the chance. 

“I’m actually glad you guys called, there’s something I need to tell you. Um…” Kyle watched Stan’s expression morph from a forced blankness to suspicion, then realization, and finally a small, reassuring smile spread on his face and he nodded to the camera. Kyle swallowed around the lump in his throat. 

“See, there’s actually something I’ve been lying about for a long time, and it’s… it  _ shouldn’t  _ have been a big deal when I found out, but I made it a big deal, to myself, because I have a lot of issues about it that I’m still working on.” 

“What?” Token asked, looking worried. 

“Dude what is it?” Clyde added simply, as if it were simple, and Stan looked at the beta with a frown before nodding again at Kyle to continue. Kyle took a deep breath and sighed. 

“Okay see…” 

_ Just rip off the bandaid. _

“I’m not actually sick... I’m at a rehabilitation center for… for omegas, because I am one. I’m not a beta.” 

Kyle looked between all their faces, his chest tight with anxiety. 

Cartman was the one he watched first. The alphas brows furrowed and he just stared, like the words he’d just said had stopped whatever singular cog was in his brain from turning. Clyde did little more than raise an eyebrow while Kenny, Token and Jimmy looked surprised, and then there were Butters and Tweek who looked absolutely shocked. 

The first one to speak was Craig, who just looked to Tweek with his consistent blank expression and held out his palm. 

“I knew it. I want my five bucks back Tweek.” 

“ _ What?! _ ” Tweek yelped, looking at Craig like what he said was more outrageous than what Kyle had just admitted. 

“What the fuck?!” Kenny shouted at the same time Butters exclaimed his surprise. 

“Holy hamburgers!” The smaller blonde leaned closer to the screen, his eyes moving up and down like he was looking the redhead over. “You’re an omega?! Are you sure?!” 

“Yes, Butters, or else I wouldn’t be where I am right now,” Kyle said, almost mumbling, but keeping his expression serious. 

“Holy j-jumping jesus,” Jimmy said. “I owe Cartman t-twenty b-bucks.” 

“Wait- what?!” Kyle exclaimed, and he noticed Cartman blink a few times as his name was said. “Were you all betting on me this whole time?!” 

“We all made bets the day before you went to the doctor six years ago,” Craig explained, tone flat, as always. “I bet you were an omega and I was right. I want my five bucks back.” 

“From _six years ago?!_ ” Tweek nearly yelled but Craig’s expression didn’t differ. “Ehk- You jerk! He’s at a rehabilitation center and you focus on _ that?!” _

“Yes.” 

“Ugh!” Tweek pulled a five dollar bill out of his back pocket and slapped it in Craig’s still open palm angrily before turning back to the screen, his eyes filled with alarmed concern. “Why are you at a rehabilitation center?!” 

“Uh, yeah that’s something else entirely,” Kyle was happy to keep talking so Cartman wouldn’t have the chance to start. It was starting to look like the alpha’s senses were coming back to him as he looked between Kyle and the others around him sporadically, confused. “See, I’ve had this thing where I haven’t been able to smell pheromones until… a little over a week ago?” He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, briefly looking away from the screen. “When it happened I had a panic attack and then I was put in- well  _ brought  _ here...” 

“Wait, so you haven’t been able to smell any of us this whole time?” Clyde asked and Kyle shook his head. 

“No, I haven’t. And let me tell you, I don’t know how any of you live like this. Everything is fucking  _ weird  _ right now. I can smell  _ bees  _ now! Do you know how weird that is? To know what a  _ bee  _ smells like?!” 

“No, I’ve always been able to smell bees.” 

“I like bees, but they do smell kinda funny,” Butters added thoughtfully. 

“I’ve never smelled a fucking bee, what the fuck?” Said Kenny, looking around at all the boys and Kyle couldn’t help but laugh a little, some of the tension leaving him as they fell into their usual banter. His omega was practically wagging its tail at the fact that not only had they not gotten angry, but were actually fucking _betting_ on it. The cheeky bastards. 

“I’ve never smelt that shit before!” Kyle continued, hands moving around as he talked. “It’s  _ weird  _ for me! Everything is! I’m still having trouble getting used to my  _ own  _ scent!” 

“Aw geez, I’m sorry Kyle,” Butters said genuinely but everyone seemed to pause when Cartman snorted suddenly. They all looked at him and Kyle felt his stomach clench. 

“Heheh-w-wait…” The alpha said, fist coming up to his mouth and other hand splayed out as if to stop everyone around him. “So you’re telling me… that  _ Kyle Broflovski _ ... is an  _ omega? _ ” 

“ _ Cartman, _ ” Stan said in a warning tone, his first word since the redheads confession, but Cartman paid him no heed as he pushed himself away from the table and got up from the chair, chuckles starting to pour from his smiling mouth. 

“Hah-dude… dude no fucking way! Ahahahaha!” He held his head with one hand and his stomach with the other as he left the room, laughing the whole way and Kyle felt his face growing hot as he was still able to hear his maniacal laughter all the way from the other room. 

“I swear to god I’m going to kill him,” Stan said tensely, looking into the other room with a furious expression. Kyle could see the anger radiating off of him, even through the shitty quality of the laptop. 

“Oh, don’t you worry about Eric, Kyle,” Butters said with a wave of his hand and Kyle wanted to ask him how he could even say that, but the blonde continued with concern before the words could get past just thought. “You know, I went to a rehabilitation center once and it wasn’t the greatest. When do you think you’ll be getting out?” 

“...two week tops,” he said softly. His courage had almost completely left with Cartman after his slow reaction. “I don’t want to miss any school unless absolutely necessary.” 

“Kyle, shut the fuck up!” Stan said and the redhead jerked back slightly, he and everyone else looking surprised by his anger now directed at him instead of Cartman. “I  _ told  _ you, your health is a hundred times more important than school! I don’t want to see you outside of this screen until you _know_ you’re ready to be out here, you got that?” 

“Wait, Stan you  _ knew? _ ” Butters questioned and everyone looked at the blonde omega, none of them sharing his shock. 

“Well duh, they’re Stan and Kyle,” Craig answered for Stan. “Their bromance is almost as strong as Wendy’s grip on Stan’s balls.” 

“Dude!” Stan exclaimed as all the boys laughed, Kyle smiling a little as well. 

_ They still like me! _

That little voice was too excited in his opinion, but he accepted the excitement with open mental arms.  _ Even after all the lies, they still accept me as their friend!  _

Screw Cartman, he could deal with him later. For now, he just wanted to get out even faster so he could be with his friends, with his  _ family _ , and get back to his old life. 

It wouldn’t be exactly the same but that was fine. It was still his life, just now... it would be different. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when Kyle laughed his ass off when Cartman got aids? Yeah I tried reflecting that here XD Did you notice??   
> Thank you for all the comments, it really makes me happy to know that you guys are invested! <33 I REALLY want to finish this project because I've never finished a multichapter long fic and really want to! I'll keep writing and won't stop till it's done!!


	6. Coming Home Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back Kahl!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll! Sorry this took nearly a month to get out QwQ I've been working like a loooooot to get money for christmas gifts and stuff- like 12 hours a day! Then I fell into a new fandom and a new ship which is rotting my brain BUT IM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS FIC! It's really fun to write so I'm going to drown my brain in fanfiction until it's finally fucking sated and then get back to writing!  
> And thank you all for reading in the first place, your comments and love all really mean a lot! <3333<3<33

~~0~~

Kyle was nervous. 

He stared out of the window in the mess hall chewing absently on the inside of his cheek, chin held in his hand as he watched the little flecks of snow collect soundlessly on the powder covered lawn outside. 

“Hey.” The redhead blinked and looked back over at the omega girl sitting across from him, half finished chess game sitting between them. She stared at him with dark brown eyes, almost black, with her temple resting against her fist boredly. “Your turn.” 

Her pieces were black, like her whole being and, most likely, soul. Her hair, nails, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick were all somehow different shades of darkness as well as her button-up overall style dress which laid over a striped black and white long sleeve shirt. 

He moved his knight and took out one of her rooks and in response she moved one of her few remaining pawns to take it, leaving her queen exposed. It was obviously a trap, so he moved one of his rooks to take her bishop within both the queen and his rooks range and, seemingly, without much thought, she moved her queen to take it in turn, leaving her king unguarded. 

He moved his lingering bishop on the other side of the board, sighing as he knocked over her king. 

“Checkmate.” 

“ _Ugh,_ again?” 

“Do you even plan your moves or are you just winging it?” 

“Both and neither.” 

Kyle chuckled lightly, his arm falling to the cold white lunch table with a dull thump. “What does that even _mean?_ ” The girl sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest like a petulant teenager, even though they were almost the same age, her just a few months older. 

“Nothing even matters, these pieces have no meaning other than the meaning we give them.” Kyle hummed at her words and looked outside again. “When are they _getting_ here? I’m sick of distracting you. I’m not even good at it.” 

“Oh, is _that_ what you were doing?” The redhead glanced back at her with a raised brow, making her stare up at the ceiling like she was losing patience with life itself, though she’d probably lost patience with it a long time ago. 

“ _Fuuuuck ooooff._ ” 

She wasn’t great at distracting him, but her antics made him smile. 

This girl was Lia Lesedi, another omega in the rehabilitation center with him. She didn’t like much of anything besides smoking, drinking coffee, writing poetry about the irrelevance of society and life in general and drawing on occasion. She had been at SPORC for nearly a year and was most likely going to be there a long while after Kyle was gone. He didn’t know why she was there and he didn’t really want to find out; he’d never bothered to ask her. All he truly knew was that she was good company, she had a sharp wit and he liked her scent. She was kind of shit at chess though. 

“They were supposed to be here, like, five minutes ago...” he mumbled and then yelped when he felt a hard kick to his shin. “ _Ow!_ What the fuck?!” 

She smacked her gum between her teeth, giving him a sober look. “They’ll be here, Red.” Kyle scowled at the nickname which was an obvious tease at his untamable hair color. His head was uncovered for now as he’d found his hat a little stifling in the past few weeks, especially when he was inside and comfortable. It was weird since before his “change” he’d almost never taken it off. 

“I know! They’re just taking too damn long.” 

Lia tilted her head though her bland expression didn’t change. “Ansty to get back to being a bookworm?” 

“Yes, actually!” 

“Yeah, that’s probably the best course of action for a cute little thing like you.” He rolled his eyes at her attempt to fuck with him. When he had first met her, she had made the same kinds of comments and although he had _years_ of practice deflecting insults with his own, he had very little experience with flirtatious compliments and couldn’t help the heat that rose to his cheeks. 

However, after nearly two weeks of getting to know her and three weeks in the facility entirely, he had learned that teasing was more of a way for her to show her endearment and he was able to cultivate a mindset that didn’t let those kinds of comments get to him anymore. Catherine had helped him realize, in one of their sessions, that it was actually kind of helpful for him to build a tolerance for it in case he actually _did_ get catcalled out in society since he sure as hell hadn't been harrassed that way before. He also knew that there was no actual intention behind her words, so he figured no harm no foul. 

But the comments were still tiring for his psyche and he couldn’t help the heavy sigh that breached his lips as he closed his eyes and ran his hands through his deep red hair. “Shut the fuck up, Lia.” 

“You think if I weren’t an omega I wouldn’t tap that ass? That’s a _very_ nice ass, unfortunately for you.” 

He lowered his hands to rub circles into his temples, looking as if her words were giving him a migraine. They kind of were. “ _Please_ shut the fuck up Lia.”

“Yes, because the sound of silence is a lot more comforting.” 

He blinked his eyes open to see the tail end of a smirk slide off her pale face. When they had first met she never smiled, and honestly he’d never seen her do it fully, but lately he’d kept seeing little twitches and hints of one here and there and he was glad to know she was capable of it at all. God forbid he ever tease her for it, lest she never let it happen again. “Better than whatever bullshit you’re spewing.” 

“Tormenting others is one of few pleasures I can still feel in this dying world. Allow it to me a few moments more, before you depart forever this sanctum of suffering.” He hummed at her impressive word play before pillowing his head on his arms, now watching the door leading to the main hall and beyond that the outside world... well, the outside world beyond the front office. 

His parents and brother were supposed to be picking him up today and bringing him somewhere special for a surprise. He knew it was a surprise party, but he didn’t know where it was being held or how many people were going, and it made him and his omega _nervous_. 

Panicked thoughts kept flowing through his mind; _what if there are too many people there? What if there are people there who don’t know? What if I can’t handle all the scents? What if I have another breakdown?!_

“You want some gum?” He sighed and mumbled a negative into the sleeve of his dark green hoodie, eyes still stuck on the empty doorway. “Bitch boy, I _told_ you they’d be here,” Lia said sternly. “Stop festering in your dismay; that’s my thing.” 

“But what if I freak out?” He voiced his most prominent thought as he sat up and leaned forward, eyes hazily stuck on the table’s white surface. 

“You just gotta picture this as a positive thing. Convince your omega it’s gonna be fun and exciting, as hard as that may be.” He looked up and found her stare no longer bored but stern and almost earnest. It was the look she got when she cared about something but also hated the fact that she did. “If you go through life peeking around corners wondering what’s going to freak you out, you’ll be freaked out until the day you finally die.” She stopped there, apparently willing to say only that much to encourage him and he accepted it gratefully, clenching his fists on the table and straightening his back determinedly. 

“You’re right. I just gotta face it head on.” 

“The fucking omega motto,” she said as she leaned back again, pulling out her phone and most likely going straight to her notes app to reread something she wrote. Kyle reset up the chessboard before pillowing his head in his arms again as they settled into a comfortable silence, waiting. 

And eventually there was a knock on the door. 

Kyle’s head sprung up to find one of the male omega nurses standing there, giving him an enthusiastic smile. 

“Kyle, your family is here. Are you ready?” 

He got up with a nod, picking his old green hat up off the bench of the lunch table and slipping it over his head. “Yeah, I’m ready.” He looked over at Lia awkwardly. He wanted to hug her goodbye, but she wasn’t at all the type so he just gave her a smile. 

“You have my number if you ever wanna talk.” 

Her dark eyes slid away from her phone to watch through her bangs as he headed for the door, voice stern as she called after him. “I better not see your cute ass in here again, Red.” 

“I’ll miss you too. See ya.” He waved as he walked out the door and his smile brightened when he saw a smirk fully twist her mouth, her dark eyes soft as he disappeared past the threshold. And then he was following the nurse down the hall, light flooding through the windows overlooking the landscape of forest and mountains which he surveyed tenderly as he passed. 

The SPORC facility was a really pleasant place, truly a great location for mental healing. The workers were attentive and the atmosphere was plain but comforting, not to mention it was placed far from prying eyes or unwanted intruders. It was always warm and the food was decent, but the patients were the part he would miss the least. 

Lia was an interesting person and they had become friends so of _course_ he would miss her, but the truth of the matter was that all the omegas who needed SPORC were there because they had been broken. There weren’t that many in his ward, maybe twenty at most, but he barely saw a handful of other omegas out of their rooms at one time. He made sure he was out of his room for at least three hours a day, walking the gardens, reading in the Quiet Room, and after he made friends with Lia they ended up playing every board game in the Rec Room, just to get out.

Lia was one of the few who would come out the most, but that wasn’t saying much since she came out about every two or three days. After they started hanging out, however, she would come out almost everyday, even if it was just for an hour and he was glad he could help her progress just by being someone to complain or talk to. Other than her, he saw very few other omegas in his three weeks there and the ones he did see barely spoke. 

The sight of them had him hoping he would never reach the point they found themselves in, hope he would never have to fight what they were fighting or live with what they were living with, but life was unpredictable and hoping had failed him too hard in the past. Maybe he would understand them more someday, but for now he was ready to leave that brokenness behind and get back to his life, no matter how skewed it would become now that he was a fully developed omega. 

“There he is!” 

And there was his family; his mother rushing forward to wrap him in a gingerbread and cinnamon scented bear hug and squeeze the breath out of his lungs as he tried to retort. 

“Mom- I saw you- yester- day!” He squeaked. She released him and he was able to take a breath before finding himself suddenly enveloped next by his dad. 

“It’s good to see you, son!” He said with warmth and Kyle smiled, his smoky pine scent not as foreign as it had been weeks ago. He pulled back after a second and stood to his side, hand gently clasping his shoulder. “Your mother has been telling me all about your progress! I wish I was able to come see you sooner.” 

“Yeah, I missed you too dad.” 

“Hey, what about me?” Kyle turned to his little brother and his eyes widened. 

“Well yeah, I missed you too- of course! But holy hell, did you get a growth spurt?!” Ike had been classified as an alpha about two years before, at age twelve, and although he had barely started puberty Kyle could tell he would soon lose the designation of ‘little brother’ and eventually be his ‘younger brother’ at the rate he was growing. The boy was already the same height as him now when he was only _fourteen_ , so Kyle could only guess how tall he was going to be when he was actually _done_ growing. He was _sure_ Ike had been a few inches shorter than him before he had left! But then again, he hadn't properly hung out with Ike for at least two weeks before his change, so it was understandable. That didn't make it any less infuriating though. 

He was kind of lanky, with his rapidly growing height and skinny limbs, and his face had started to lose it’s young roundness, jawline prominent and toothy smile almost charming. His dark hair was cut short at the sides, almost a buzz cut but still slightly fluffy, with the top longer and swept to the side. He was damn near handsome and he was still just a kid; Kyle thought it was unfair. 

The brothers hugged tightly and Kyle basked in his little brother's minty scent before deciding to ruin the tender moment by pulling back and ruffling his hair, making the other slap his hands with an indignant whine. 

“Quit it!” He yelped, running his hands quickly through his hair to fix it. “It’s been two seconds and you’re already pissing me off!” 

“As your older brother that’s my job, you lil’ shit!” 

“Kyle, be nice!” His mother was quick to chastise him and the redhead sighed. 

“Sorry Ma,” he said as Ike snickered and he flicked the younger alpha’s forehead, making the dark haired boy stick his tongue out at him childishly. 

“Well we have all your stuff that wasn’t already sent home in the trunk,” Gerald said, holding his wife’s shoulder and looking between them all with a smile. “Should we get going?” 

Kyle took a deep breath and let it out in a quick exhale, mentally preparing himself for the events ahead. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” 

~~~~~

They arrived in front of Mr. Marsh’s farmhouse, which comforted him a bit as it was an open and private space that he was familiar with, but already there were a mingle of scents in the air and he was sweating barely a minute after getting out of his parent’s car. He ended up lagging behind his family a little as they headed up the path to the front porch, taking a second to sort the smells that reached him. 

He recognized a few of his friends' scents which he had been getting used to from the clothes and belongings they had sent over to help with his pheromone therapy, but he wasn’t able to separate them all that well and he felt his chest clench nervously. 

_It’s fine!_ He told himself, shoving his quivering hands in his pockets. He was shaking slightly due to both the cold and his growing nerves, but for his sanity he mostly blamed the cold. _It’s probably not that many people. They wouldn’t throw me a huge party after I just got out of the freaking hospital- basically…_

He trudged up the creaky wood steps and heard music and commotion behind both the screen door and wood one behind it. Sheila held open the screen door while Gerald held the knob to the wood one, looking back at Kyle with a raised brow. 

“Are you ready?” 

“Yeah.” 

“If you want to leave at any time just let one of us know and we’ll go, okay Kyle?” 

“Yeah, thanks Ma.” 

“Alright, here we go!” His dad turned the knob and swung open the door and suddenly all eyes were on Kyle. 

“He’s here!” He heard someone shout before they all cheered and Kyle felt himself freeze for a second as all the scents in the room washed over him like a tidal wave. He jumped a little when Ike started pushing him in with his parents in tow and the door swung shut behind them, locking him in the room with this frenzy of overlapping scents. He focused on taking deep breaths as he greeted them all with a wobbly smile. 

“H-hey guys!” He said shakily, trying very hard to keep his cool as scent after scent hit him without pause. It was like he could feel everyone in the room and he had to keep reminding himself that these were his friends, not strangers and definitely not threats. Butters and Tweek were the first to approach, Butters with his usual goofy smile and Tweek a complete contrast, looking extremely concerned. 

“I told you he’d come! Kyle doesn’t back down to anything!” Butters exclaimed but Tweek just pulled on his hair a bit. 

“I didn’t think you’d come!” He said with overexaggerated distress, grinding his teeth a bit. “Gh-! Are you okay so far?!” 

“I’m fine! Totally fine- this is fine!” He said a little too rushed and took a calming breath as he looked between the two omegas in front of him, focusing on them. Butters leaned forward a little and sniffed the air around him and Kyle flinched back a little as he did before moving forward again, not willing to let his sensitivity show. At least, not too much. 

_They’re my friends, they aren’t going to hurt me!_ He thought angrily, but his heart still thumped thick with anxiety in his chest. 

“Wow, you smell totally different!” 

Tweek leaned forward and also gave the air a whiff, blinking a few times in surprise after he did. “Gah- you smell like cherries!” 

“R-Really? I thought it was more like lavender,” he sniffed his wrist thoughtfully but found it to be pointless. He’d become too used to his own scent by now and, buried under all these other scents, there was no way he’d be able to pick it out at the moment. 

He looked past the two blondes to everyone else in the living room and noticed how all the whole group was idling at the back, even Stan, while the two omegas in their group were greeting him warmly. The fleeting thought of them all respecting his space made his primal side calm for a moment. 

_They’re being so respectful, almost gentle even,_ he thought tenderly. But then another thought was quick to dash his endearment. _They’re treating me lightly- they’re treating me_ differently _._

And that pissed him off. 

“What the hell are you all doing back there?” He asked, suddenly angry and all his friends gave him mixed looks of surprise, except Craig of course who just raised a brow questioningly. “Get over here and let me smell you fuckers!” They all looked between each other nervously, all except one. 

Cartman didn’t hesitate to cross the room and walk right up to him, hands concealed comfortably in his jacket pockets as he leaned down and sniffed the air around him like a dog sniffing a tree to piss on. At first Kyle tensed as he approached, but he quickly hardened his expression and found himself crossing his arms and sniffing him back, eyes narrowing as the alpha’s scent registered. 

He smelled like chocolate and lemon, just like his gloves. He… didn’t really know how to feel about it. Or at least, he didn't know what to call the warmth that blossomed in his face as the scent sunk in. Was it embarrassment? Anger? 

Cartman leaned back with a casual one shoulder shrug. “Nah, smells like a jew to me.” 

And just like that his contemplation was erased with a quick comeback forming in its place. “Smells like a fatass to me,” he retorted easily and Cartman smirked down at him, his eyes suddenly gold and Kyle blinked up at the change of color. He’d never really understood how or why they did that. 

“Good to have you back, _shortie_ ,” the brunet snarked with a smirk and Kyle scoffed. 

“Always a pleasure, _jackass_.” 

“Welcome back Kyle!” Stan walked up to him then and held out his wrist for the redhead to sniff, which he did without hesitation, confidence growing. 

“Huh.” Kyle blinked as his best friend's scent reached him. He’d smelt it on the clothes he’d sent to SPORC, but it was so much more vibrant now in person; same with Cartman. 

“What?” The alpha asked, a little nervously. 

“You smell like blueberries,” Kyle responded, though there was something else to it. Blueberries were in the right range, but it was warmer and sweeter than just berries. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it… 

“Really? Wendy says it’s like blueberry pie.” 

Kyle snapped his fingers. “Yes! Blueberry pie!” 

“Wait, what do I smell like Kyle?” Butters asked eagerly and Clyde walked up next, the others starting to follow as well. 

“What about me?” 

“Yeah, me too!” Tweek added and Kyle laughed apprehensively. 

“Well geez, one at a time guys!” 

Cartman and Stan stepped back as the others all gathered around and started introducing their pheromones to the omega individually. At first he felt nervous as they all crowded him, but after each of them officially introduced themselves to him by scent, they would step back and give him space and he could feel his anxiety slipping; his heart rate normalizing.

Once his parents saw he was becoming more comfortable, they let Kyle know they were going to go talk with Randy in the kitchen and told everyone in an embarrassingly strict tone to be nice before disappearing into the other room. Ike stayed with the rest of them and Kyle took comfort in his light, familiar scent. Kyle found it strange that Ike’s scent was more comforting than the rest even though he’d never been able to smell it before either. Maybe it was because he and his omega saw him as family? 

Before he could think more on it, Butters clapped his hands together and addressed everyone excitedly. “Alright everyone! Let’s head up to Stan’s room! We set up a bunch of snacks and even pizza for tonight's hangout!” 

“Pizza?” Kyle asked, a little too eagerly. He hadn’t had junk food for nearly a month and just the thought of a freshly baked greasy pizza had him watering at the mouth. “What kind?” 

“You’ll see!” The blonde omega said as he started leading him up the stairs but they were stopped as Stan called out after them. 

“You guys!” He said, making everyone pause. “I thought I told you all we were staying in the living room, otherwise you always leave a huge fucking mess!” 

“Buuuzzkiiiiill,” Clyde jeered and all the other boys made disgruntled sounds of agreement, Butters and Kyle pausing on their way up the stairs and looking down at them all, Stan at the very back looking sore. 

“Oh come on Stan!” Butters fussed, his voice turning light with innocent persuasion. “We figured it would be more comfortable than the living room and since we’re in there all the time it will help him get used to our pheromones faster.” 

Kyle admitted, the living room wasn’t the most enticing place. The television was old and there were so many doors and windows, not like his room back at SPORC which just one of each. Also, the fact that his parents would be able to hear everything they might say from just the other room wasn’t that appealing. Even so, he didn’t want to upset Stan, it was his territory after all. 

His _space,_ he corrected. Thinking of it as his territory felt a little… too primitive. He looked down at Stan who looked up at him in conflictingly before sighing in defeat just a moment later. 

“Okay fine, but someone has to help clean up after.” 

“I will!” Butters exclaimed quickly before grabbing Kyle’s arm and dragging him up the stairs, all the other boys running up behind them with raucous laughter. “Now come on, the food’s getting cold!” 

“Just be careful would you?!” Stan called up after them but Cartman just pushed him up the stairs after the other rowdy boys. 

“Get the stick outta your ass and let’s go already, asshole! I’m hungry too!” 

When they got to the room Butters grabbed the remote to the roku t.v. and sat Kyle in the middle of the couch, taking the seat to his left as he went to Disney+ and started looking for a movie. Because nothing is more comforting than Disney. 

Kyle didn’t exactly like being manhandled, but he kept repeating in his mind that it was just Butters, a fellow omega and long time friend, and he was probably just trying to put him in the most comfortable place possible. So far they had all been really accommodating, a tad bit suffocating just because there were so many people, but he knew he could handle it. If he couldn’t handle this, how the hell was he supposed to handle college, packed in a room with twenty to thirty people all with their own unique scents that he’s never smelt before? 

_Stay calm,_ he kept saying in his mind. _I can do this. I can do this. Stay calm, I can do this._

The other boys piled in and Kenny took the spot on the couch to his right while Clyde grabbed the beanbag chair in the corner and slid it in front of the t.v. next to the bed before plopping down in it with a satisfied sigh. He always loved to hog the beanbag chair. Craig and Tweek sat on the floor in front of Kyle and Butters with their own blanket wrapped around both of them and Token sat next to them in front of Kenny. Jimmy came in and set his crutches against the wall at the end of the bed before scooting back to the headboard and Ike joined him on the bed, grabbing a few pillows and cushioning himself against the wall. Cartman was the last to come in, pushing an irritated Stan into the room with an placid smirk. 

Cartman went over to the table and picked up a stack of paper plates, tossing them to Token who Stan took a seat next to with a sigh. 

“Pass those around will you?” He asked and the beta rolled his eyes but took one and handed the stack to the next person nonetheless. Cartman continued, speaking to the whole group crowded around the couch in a customer service voice that was overly accommodating. “For tonight we have a fine buffet of chips, pizza and soda and as to keep the current host not _completely_ pissed off, all food will be kept on the plates and tossed when cleared and all sodas stay in their bottles. That satisfactory enough for you, pussy queen?” The question was directed at Stan who just held out his hand, his mood obviously still pissy but now begrudgingly accepting of the situation. 

“Just hand me a fucking root beer, fatass.” 

“Of course, your majesty.” 

The boys all laughed as Cartman tossed him a bottle of root beer and the other alpha caught it with a scowl but stayed quiet as a movie was picked and bags of chips, pieces of pizza and bottles of soda were passed around. Kyle found himself being handed a bottle of crush, a plate with a slice of pepperoni already on it and a bunch of bags of chips to pour onto his plate and he made sure none strayed onto the floor or the couch as he filled his plate. When his plate was made he felt a blanket being thrown over his shoulders and looked to find Butters looking at him sheepishly, still holding the edges as if to pull it back. 

“Oh, do you want a blanket?” The omega asked, starting to pull it back but Kyle held it in place with his free hand. The blanket was, surprisingly, a soothing weight on his shoulders that his omega felt was a good boundary between him and his friends that he could wear physically and he really wanted it, even though he felt a little hot from nerves and still had his hat and hoodie on. 

“Yeah, I do. Thanks.” Butters beamed at him then and smoothed out the blanket along his shoulders before looking back to the screen, pointing the remote at the t.v. and pressing a button to start the movie he’d picked which was some live action Disney film Kyle had yet to see. 

Cartman turned the lights off and took a seat in the single sofa next to Stan’s desk, dragging it to the side a little so it was facing more towards the screen before digging into his food. Kyle noticed how he’d left the door open slightly and breathed a sigh of relief, finding it weird that his mind was fixating on it as if it were… an escape route. 

He took a calming breath and let it out quietly before taking a bite of his pizza and suddenly moaning as the flavor hit his tongue. 

“Oh my _god_ I missed this!” He cried, feeling his eyes get hot but pushing back the tears as soon as he got the hint they might actually formulate. It was just three weeks, he really had no reason to get this emotional over pizza and chips. 

“They didn’t have any pizza in there?” Butters asked but Kyle had shoved half the pizza in his mouth and had to take a second to chew and swallow before answering. 

“They only had cafeteria food, basically, except it wasn’t bad for you. It was just stuff like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, and stuff like that.” He shoved the rest of the piece in his mouth before continuing. “Bud no jubkfoob.” 

“What the fuck?” Cartman said, expression offended as he looked over at him. “What kind of rehabilitation center doesn’t have pizza? That’s like the first basic comfort food.” 

“Fucking tragic,” Kenny cursed glumly. 

“That should be ille… That should be _Illehe…_ That should be _il-legal_ ,” Jimmy said and everyone made sounds of agreement. 

“Wait, did they have ice cream?” Clyde asked, leaning forward and looking back at Kyle hopefully but the omega just shook his head solemnly. 

“Nope,” he said and Clyde leaned back into the beanbag chair, an appalled sigh leaving his lips as he shook his head in disappointment. Kyle started digging into his chips and popcorn next, realizing he was going to need a refill on his plate and they weren’t even two minutes into the movie yet. 

“That’s fucked up,” Stan chimed in, mood seemingly having cooled as he instead focused on the food and the movie. 

“That’s inhumane,” Token added. 

Kyle polished off his chips quickly and looked around for where the bags of chips had gone. “Uh, someone mind handing me another slice?” 

“Whoa! You already finished all of it?” Butters exclaimed and everyone else shared sounds of surprise. 

“Hell fucking yes I did! Now more please!” Cartman got up and slapped another slice on his plate and he was quick to pick it up, thanking him quickly before taking another big bite and savoring the flavor. There really wasn’t anything like good old movies and pizza with friends. 

They stayed up for hours, moving onto Marvel and even some classic DC movies. Kyle was tense for the first hour but soon enough he found himself getting used to all their scents around him and he slowly began to relax into the couch, eventually feeling comfortable enough to pull his legs up under him and readjust the blanket around his shoulders. He didn’t realize until he moved that he’d been sitting in the same position for a long time, too scared to move and disturb the peace, but after he did he realized how silly that notion was. If he wanted to move he could move! No one was going to attack him for making a little noise. They were all making a ton of noise roasting the fuck out of the movies anyway. 

Sooner or later, when it was starting to near eleven, Craig had to head out since he had classes in the morning and Tweek went with him, the two lovebirds saying goodbye to Kyle and thanking Stan for hosting once again. Stan had lost his malice by then and gave them both fond farewells until next time. Token and Jimmy also had morning classes and needed to be heading out, but since Token was also Clyde’s ride as well as Jimmy’s it took them awhile to get the beta to wake up from where he was passed out on the beanbag chair and haul his half asleep ass out to Token’s BMW. Kenny went to see them out since he also wanted to have a smoke and Ike was quick to grab the blanket Tweek and Craig left and get comfortable on the beanbag chair, leaving just three alphas and two omegas in the room. 

Stan moved over to the bed after he saw everybody out and after a few minutes Cartman stole Kenny’s spot on the couch next to Kyle. Of course Kyle noticed, but outwardly he barely gave him any acknowledgement, instead deciding to focus on the half finished movie on the screen. Butters was barely able to keep his eyes open, having curled up into the corner of the couch now with his own blanket covering him, and Kyle yawned at the sight of him, realizing he was starting to feel a little sleepy too. 

The longest he’d stayed up at SPORC in the last week was about 10pm, since they had a 9pm curfew and he’d always gotten up at 8. Despite that, however, he realized that he was more relaxed because everybody had left and also that he was sleepy because the stress and tension he'd been holding in had left him mentally and physically exhausted. He fleetingly wondered if he should move to the spare room. 

But, as he yawned, he took in a deep breath of a very soothing and calm scent that had him sniffing the air a little after it. It was warm and sweet, like hot chocolate, and it had him fighting to keep his eyes open against the bright screen in the room. Eventually he relented and closed his eyes, slouching into the couch a little and pulling the blanket tighter around him as he drifted off into a warm darkness. 

Where had he smelled that scent before…?

~~~~~

When Kyle had told them that he was an omega, Eric had had a lot of conflicting emotions about it. So many, in fact, it took him a second to even get it to process. For a minute, he couldn’t hear anyone, all he could do was stare at the boy on the screen. The first thought that registered in his mind? 

_I fucking knew it._

Something inside him had always known, had always been hoping, even after all this time. When Kyle had told them he was a beta at the bus stop all those years ago he hadn’t believed a fucking word of it. As if a kid like Kyle, with his brains, temper and short ass height could be a fucking _beta_ . He was too charismatic for that, too into the omega and alpha dynamic and politics, even back then. His inner alpha… it just _wouldn’t_ believe it. 

As he grew up, he realized he liked omegas, and even sometimes he liked alphas, but the only so called _beta_ he’d ever had his eyes on was Kyle which confused the _fuck_ out of him and, more importantly, kept him doubtful. At some point he realized he had a crush on the boy but he could never get over it because the redhead was _always_ there and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stay away from him. He’d never acted on his feelings because he _never_ wanted to change their dynamic or strain whatever shred of friendship was left between them, but his feelings were hard to contain.

Kyle had never smelled like an omega, never smelled like he was going into heat, never showed a trace of being an omega in any way, shape or form and no matter how much he teased the boy, Kyle just didn’t react to him. Not his pheromones, not his flirting and as highschool came to a close he finally started to accept… maybe he was a beta and... it was just never going to happen. He had accepted that he was his rival as children and his ultimately useless obsession as teenagers. Maybe he really was a beta and he was still just delusional… 

And then he goes and drops this bomb. 

As he broke from his scattered thoughts and tuned back into the conversation, the _omega_ was talking about how he couldn’t smell pheromones up to that point. His second thought? 

_You’re fucking kidding me._

He was hiding. _That’s_ how he’d tricked him- tricked all of them! That’s why he didn’t react to him for all those years! As he looked around he found all the others not _nearly_ as surprised- well except maybe Butters- but _clearly_ none of them had known either. But they all just… accepted it. And hey, he would get his twenty bucks back from Jimmy, but he could barely focus on that as his heart clenched- maybe… skipping a beat? 

He realized… he was _relieved_. Fuck the lying, he was right and he was so relieved he just started laughing so hard he had to leave the room. He’d only stopped laughing when he was finally calm enough to think again and the only thought on his mind then?

_Now I have a chance!_

It was a strange thought, why would he have a chance _now?_ Nothing would truly change. Kyle was still the same person on the inside... but his alpha was _howling_ with delight at the news. He knew Kyle was still the same but… he would also be completely different. There was this new side of him, even new to Kyle himself. He didn’t know how to explain it… he just knew things were going to _change_. For some reason, he felt he had a chance. 

He had questions like, could he go into heat? Has he ever gone into heat before? Why the fuck couldn’t he smell pheromones up until just a few weeks ago? If he’d never smelt anyone’s pheromones before, how was he going to react to them now? Question after question kept coming to him as the weeks passed and he really just wanted to ask the damn omega as soon as he got to the party. But then he walked through the door… and the pheromones hit him. 

There was a lot you could tell by someone’s pheromones, and Kyle’s were nothing like he expected. He’d expected a spice or something earthy, not the delicious smell that hit him like a fucking truck. Even from across the room Cartman could smell it like something sweet baking in an oven. He was the first alpha to approach and smell it fully and it was like he was meeting an entirely new person. 

He smelled amazing, like strawberry shortcake and hot apple cider on a cold winter night and it was damn near _irresistible_. It was sweet and sugary and so fucking tantalizing to the alpha that it took everything in him not to grab the omega’s wrist and bring it up to his nose, getting a better whiff than just the air around him. But his scent was _strong_ , too, like a force around him that made him and the others seem to calm as soon as they smelled it. Everyone had been nervous before and even after the omega arrived, though not Eric as he was more impatient, but after they all exchanged scents they just seemed to _relax_ more. This was Kyle, _their_ Kyle, and now they could put an actual scent to his character in their minds. it was like a missing piece had been finally been found and their group was finally content, cheesy as that sounds. 

The party was less of a party and ended up being more of a light hangout so Kyle could adjust to their pheromones and they could adjust to his, and the whole time all Eric could notice, when he wasn’t thoroughly distracting himself with the movie, was Kyle’s scent mingling in with the others’, seemingly without him trying. Usually, letting out pheromones is a mental and physical effort, but Kyle’s scent just poured off of him seemingly nonstop and Eric knew he was going to need to work on controlling it _way_ more. 

Or else he was going to go insane. 

At some point the others had to leave for morning classes and Kenny took a smoke break so it was just Stan, Butters, Ike, Eric and Kyle and he could smell the change in the omegas scent as he became a little more comfortable with less people in the room. Eric decided not to miss his chance and without much thought he stole the empty seat on the couch next to Kyle. He immediately regretted his decision, however, because as soon as he sat down, he realized he was in immediate proximity to Kyle's scent. 

And it was torture.

 _He smells so good,_ was the only line going through his head as he stared blankly at the screen lighting up the dark around the five boys left in Stan’s room. It took all his self control to not fidget around and keep his posture laid back and bored, his arm propping his head up against the armrest of the couch as the movie went on, but his attention had long since been lost from the plot. 

_He smells so sweet!_ His alpha cried in his mind. It had him craving warm pie and ice cream and he latched onto that thought, trying to distract himself with thoughts of food instead of the mouth watering smell coming from the omega sitting right next to him. For a few minutes he was doing a pretty good job and had even managed to get back into the movie after a while, but then he felt a soft pressure on his shoulder and looked over to find the little shit passed out and leaning against him. 

His breaths were even and soft, his body warm against his side and Eric found himself frozen. 

_Is this okay?_ His rational mind thought frantically. _Is this allowed?_

He moved his shoulder a little, not sure if he was trying to make it more comfortable for Kyle or shake him off and wake him up. Instead, he ended up making the omega lean on him more and at that point he just froze and committed to not moving a single muscle lest he make the already awkward situation worse. 

He was even closer now, but instead of losing control of himself, he felt... oddly _calm_ with Kyle so close; so small against him. His alpha was suddenly quiet and only one thought came to him then. 

_I like this._

He stared at the screen but the movie wasn’t registering. All he could focus on was keeping his pheromones in check while Kyle slept soundly against him. He could feel his eyes glowing gold in the dark. He was so warm… damnit. 

_I really like this._


	7. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why so red in the face Kahl?

Kyle blinked his eyes open to a familiar ceiling, eyes heavy and as the cold discomfort of sweat soaked sheets stuck against his unrested body. He could feel the bags under his eyes drag further down as he glanced over at his alarm clock, counting the hours in his head and realizing he’d ruined his sheets in the three measly hours of sleep he’d been able to get that night. 

He sat up and could feel his hair sticking out in all directions as he rubbed at his face and held it in his hands with a deep sigh. "Fuck my life… " he mumbled to himself, tiredly, before throwing his legs over the side of the bed and leaving the sheets a mess behind him, heading straight for the bathroom with a jaw stretching yawn. 

He brushed his teeth and ran a hand through his scraggly knots before hopping in the shower to wake himself up and wash the sweat away, along with any leftover pheromones that might have stuck to him after last night's party. 

He smiled to himself as he remembered the party; he and all his friends relaxing and eating pizza, roasting the ever loving fuck out of the movies they watched while also being simultaneously invested. Despite how tense he realized he had been, he remembered the night fondly, all the way up until he zonked out at the end. 

He’d ended up getting shoved awake by Cartman, though the alpha didn’t say anything when he asked what the hell his problem was. The jerk wouldn’t even look at him as his parents came in and told him it was time to head out if he wanted to get back to his apartment that night. He’d dutifully woken up Ike, who had also passed out on the beanbag chair, and said a fond farewell to Stan and a sleepy Butters before giving a small wave and curt goodbye to Cartman and leaving with his family. The brunet had just grunted in response and Kyle had just rolled his eyes and accepted it. He hadn’t expected much but he wasn’t expecting him to just brush him off like that. It wasn’t... it wasn't normal. 

_At the very least he could’ve insulted me on my way out,_ he thought, before realizing what he’d just thought and scoffing, thumping himself on the head lightly with a fist. 

“That’s definitely not a healthy thought,” he said to himself and then continued washing, preoccupying his thoughts with plans for the day. Cartman was the last thing on his list of priorities and he could think about him and his offhandish behavior later. 

Today was his first day back to school and his first day at the new college all his friends were starting their education at. He’d been doing the work his teachers had been sending him at SPORC and was determined to be ready when he started showing up in person again. The teachers were all very understanding of his situation, thank god, and were pretty good at keeping him up to date on all the assignments and projects they would be starting so when he actually started showing up to classes it would be like he was always there. 

Before his _change_ , as he liked to call it, he had been hoping to start the school year by visiting the campus and meeting all the teachers before his friends so he'd be able to show them the ropes more easily. And yeah, maybe he'd wanted to show off a little, so what? Either way, that didn't end up happening and he’d started feeling more and more anxious as each school day passed with him still stuck at the rehabilitation center. He had discussed his feelings with Catherine and was reminded of her words whenever he heard that worried voice in the back of his head. 

"You have to practice gratitude, Kyle,” she had said. “Instead of feeling like you're falling behind by not being ahead, be grateful your friends can take the lead this time and help you instead, especially now in this difficult time you're working through.” She chuckled a little. “Oh, notice how that rhymed?" 

Kyle smiled to himself as he finished up his shower and got out, now much more awake and refreshed though he could still feel the tiredness in his unsettled limbs. He dried off and ran the towel through his hair fiercely before tying the damp fabric around his hips and glancing at himself in the mirror. 

As he looked at himself, he noticed how red his chest and cheeks were and when he brushed his fingertips over his collarbone he hummed at how sensitive the skin was. 

“What the fuck?” he mumbled, turning around and examining his body. _Do I have a rash?_ He thought to himself. His shoulders were also a little red but the redness seemed to reside mostly on his face and upper torso. _A sunburn?_ _It doesn’t hurt or anything…_

After a few moments of inspecting he hummed dismissively with a light shrug and went back to his room, grabbing the pile of clothes on his dresser that he’d prepared the night before. 

_Oh well, no time for that,_ he thought as he started dressing for the day. _Gotta get through today, then_ __I c_ an buy some cream or something on the way home if it gets worse. _

He’d decided to go with blue jeans and a dark grey and white baseball tee under an orange jacket with black accents he’d gotten from his mom for his birthday. It was pretty stylish, which was a surprise since his mom wasn’t the greatest at getting wearable gifts. He figured Ike had helped her pick it out, but if he didn’t then kudos to mom. 

He noticed his clothes were a bit itchy and uncomfortable but he guessed it was probably because he hadn’t worn them in a few weeks. As he went out to the kitchen to start breakfast, he made a mental note to throw all his clothes in the wash when he got home. He started with coffee, popping a vanilla coffee pod into his small Keurig coffee maker and activating it before pulling out some eggs, sausage, and a pan, then he started up the burners on the stove. 

The smell of eggs, sausage and coffee gradually filled his small apartment and Kyle sighed at the mouth watering smells overlapping the slight traces of gingerbread leftover by his mother who had cleaned up the place while he was away. With all the smells mixed together he felt an odd sense of home settle over him and some muscles he hadn’t realized he was clenching released their tension. 

His parents had suggested that he take at least one day to resettle into his apartment; to spread his pheromones and really make the place his own before he went back to school but he was adamant about going as soon as possible. He knew he would need to get used to the scents and sounds of the neighbors and such, which had before been normal or unheeded but could now be scary or uncomfortable, but he refused to miss another day of school. His parents and even _Stan_ had argued that he should wait until he was sure he could handle himself in public but it all fell on deaf ears. He only had one class today, just _one_ measly hour of learning and then he could spend the rest of the day settling in and setting up his nest like they wanted. He could handle an hour sitting in a room with other people. 

And yes, that's right, his _nest_. It was something that had been swirling around his head ever since he’d heard about it from Dr. Strong; another trait omegas had that he had no clue about. 

She explained that a nest is a place that omegas create so they have somewhere they can feel safe and comfortable, whether in heat or when they’re just when having a rough day. Nests apparently vary in size, space and contents, meaning it could be a bed, a closet, a small room or even a couch and they’re are always filled with soft things like blankets and pillows and such. She explained how omegas sometimes keep large amounts of food and water nearby to last them a while so the only reason they would need to leave is for hygiene practices because sometimes an omega will seclude themselves in their nest for _long_ periods of time when they are particularly distressed. 

And after he’d learned about nests, Kyle suddenly understood why the other omegas at the rehabilitation center had been holed up in their rooms so often. It was _instinct_ for an omega to seclude themselves in a small space where they felt safe and he figured it was only natural for them to react that way when they were stressed... or traumatized. 

He’d liked the idea of a nest after Catherine had explained them to him, but a little after he was finally cleared to go home he’d started _craving_ that kind of place for himself. He’d been planning to make the closet in his room the space for it since he could move what was in there to the other closet in the hall but, as he looked at it the night before, he felt it may have been a little _too_ small. Nevertheless he was going to try. He had planned to buy a minifridge and a bunch of blankets after school, if he could handle it. Otherwise, Amazon would do the trick, although he hated the idea of waiting a few days for the supplies to arrive. 

_I gotta be patient just a little longer,_ he thought to himself as he put his food on a plate and grabbed his cup of coffee off the Keurig. _I just have to get through school today, just_ one _class, then I can- are those Cartman’s gloves?_

He froze for a second as he noticed bright yellow against the dark brown of his small rounded dining table in the corner of the room and wondered how the _hell_ he’d missed them the entire time he’d been cooking. The memory of how he’d sniffed them when his whole world had shifted came crashing down on him like an anvil of shame and it felt as though the very gloves themselves were laughing at him like Cartman would've if he had been there to witness what he'd done. 

His panicked mind supplied that his mother had probably left them there after fixing his disassembled couch, not realizing they weren’t his own and the redhead growled as he set his food on the table, cursing as he snatched up the offensive mittens and rushed to his room angrily. He shoved them into a random pocket in his backpack before marching back out, sitting at the table and digging into his food with a little more ferocity than needed, his morning now dampened as the memory hung over his head like a storm cloud. 

He had no idea why he’d done what he did that day and he _especially_ didn’t know why it had… why it had calmed him down so _easily_. He hadn’t given it a second thought after his parents had taken him to the hospital and it’d never come up during his sessions with Catherine. He was only just remembering it _now_ and... he didn’t know what to think. 

That night, everything around him had become intense and... _scary_. His surroundings were suddenly intense in a way he’d never experienced before and it was like he could _feel_ everything around him. He still _could_ in the present, but after nearly a month of hard work it had become a weird sort of normal. At that moment, however, everything had been _terrifying_ as he’d become so sensitive so quickly... so why did he calm down so easily when he’d- well when he’d done that thing that he did that he didn’t want to think about?

 _God- I literally tracked them down!_ He thought, banging his head on the table, half finished plate forgotten and beginning to cool. Now that he had remembered it, it was like a plague on his mind. _How had they gotten in the fucking couch? How could I smell them under the goddamn cushions from a whole other room away?!_

 _At least I know what I want to talk about next session with Catherine,_ his mind supplied, unhelpfully. He sighed miserably and sat there, face planted on the table for most likely _minutes_ before he eventually found the strength to turn his head to the clock on his stove and bolt upright as he registered the time. He took a few large gulps of his coffee, put his unfinished plate in the sink and hurried to his room to grab his backpack that he’d prepared the day before, rifling through it quickly to double check he had everything he would need for the day. When he was sure he was ready he went to grab his keys off his nightstand and hesitated when he saw the little packet of pills sitting next to them. 

“Oh, right,” he mumbled, scolding himself mentally as he pocketed his keys and popped a few of the suppressants out of the little plastic bubbles. His doctor and Catherine had been _very_ clear that he could absolutely _not_ forget to take his heat suppressants since they all had no idea when he was going to start it. 

Most omegas would get their first heat somewhere between age ten and seventeen, usually fifteen, but it was _abundantly_ clear by now that Kyle was not like most omegas and he’d missed the memo. He’d barely ever thought about heats, even. 

However Dr. Strong and his new omega physician, Dr. Spear, had drilled into him how important it was that he stay on his inhibitors and had also given him plenty of embarrassing advice on what to do if he felt it start, since for all they knew it could happen at any time. Heat was something he had yet to prepare for, but he was sure he had time. He mentally tacked that onto his list of things he would need to deal with after school. He just had to make it through one class. Just one. 

He went out to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, swallowing down the two suppressors along with the water before sighing and putting the bottle in his backpack for later. He checked the time again and rushed for the door. 

He would have a lot to deal with after school. 

~~~~~

_Fuck._

The only word on Kyle's mind as he exited and locked his car, one hand clutching the backpack slung over one shoulder while the other supported him against his car as he leaned against it, panting lightly. 

He had been fine in the car, having an almost lovely drive to the campus as he watched the sun's early rays start to shine over buildings and through frost covered trees, silently overtaking the dark of night while soft music played on the radio. It was nice. 

As soon as he exited the car, however, he was bombarded with the unfamiliar scents of people; of alphas, betas and omegas alike coming and going at all times of the day. Not to mention the people getting there at the same time as him, passing him by and giving him weird looks as he held a hand over his mouth, holding back the urge to vomit. 

_Fuck, I didn’t think it’d be this bad!_ He took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and shook his head, starting to walk forward although his instincts were begging him to go home and hide. His shoulders were tense as he reached the sidewalk and looked around for his friends, a few pedestrians walking past and glancing curiously at him as they got close. 

_Can they smell me? Am I releasing pheromones? This-this is scary- fuck- I should go home!_

_No!_ He shook his head and pulled out his phone, wiping his forehead which was suddenly damp with sweat as he checked the location they’d agreed to meet at and started for the main entrance. _I’ll get used to it! I’m sure I smell fine- Stan will tell me if I smell fine._

He spotted Stan and Kenny standing at the entrance, the blonde’s hood falling back a little as he stretched wide, yawning vigorously, and the shorter alpha looking worriedly down at his phone, typing something. 

“Hey guys!” Kyle greeted them breathily and Kenny answered with a laid-back smile. 

“Sup dude,” he said, pocketing a hand and giving him a sleepy wave with the other. Meanwhile, Stan looked over to him sharply at his greeting, putting his phone away and crossing his arms as he gave him a hard look up and down. Oh boy, here we go. 

“You alright?” He asked in an uneasy tone. They way he asked made it sound like a rhetorical question. 

“I’m fine!" Kyle lied in response before asking, "Do I smell okay?” He started taking long, deep breaths and focusing on calming himself down in the most casual way he could, not willing to break this useless façade. Even though he'd walked and it was pretty damn cold outside, he was getting _hot_ under his clothes which were, by the way, now itchy as _fuck_ and really starting to annoying him. 

“Well, I could smell you before you even said hi," Kenny supplied. "But other than that you smell... sweet?” And Kyle cringed a littleat that, taking another deep breath and closing his eyes so he could focus on controlling his scent. 

_Maybe the hiding technique Catherine told me about will work,_ he thought as his breathing evened out, but he was still tense as all hell. 

Stan’s icy voice broke through his concentration. “You need to get your pheromones under control.” 

“I know!” He groaned, keeping his eyes closed to avoid his friends disapproving stare. “I just- need a minute.” 

“That’s fine,” Kenny interjected, rubbing one of his eyes lazily with a fist. “We’re waiting on Cartman anyway.” That was a distraction Kyle quickly grabbed onto, opening his eyes although he didn’t stop his slow and deliberate breaths that calmed him down more and more every second. 

“We all have class today?” The redhead asked in surprise. “Right now?” 

Kenny smiled. “Weird right?” 

“Not all the same class,” Stan said. “I have Math, first thing in the morning.” 

Kenny whistled and slapped a hand on the other alpha's shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look. “I am. So sorry.” 

Stan gave him a small nod, still shooting Kyle doubtful glances. “Thank you for your condolences.” 

“I have Speech 101 first thing.” 

“Does it make you nervous?” Kyle asked and Kenny raised an eyebrow at him. “I mean, we all know public speaking doesn’t bother _me,_ but most people hate it.” 

“Nah, it’s just saying words to people in a certain order that they like, right?” 

Kyle thought that seemed like something Lia would say and he chuckled tightly. He was _really_ trying to calm down but everything just felt annoying and foreign. He recognized the two in front of him and he found they’re scents comforting but he was still… _afraid..._ and the worst part was he didn’t know why!

_What the hell is wrong with me? My clothes are itchy, everything is hot and it’s almost like when I first changed; I just- don’t feel comfortable at all! This wasn’t supposed to be a big deal! Maybe… maybe I should just go home, like everyone said…_

“The hell are you laughing about, Jew?” 

Kyle jumped slightly at Cartman’s voice and froze when he whipped around and found the alpha standing just next to him, looking down at him with a raised brow above a tired mismatched gaze. He felt his face go hot as the brunet smirked, probably because of the way he’d spooked the omega and although all Kyle wanted to do was snap at him to shut up or answer the question or _anything_ , he found his mouth wasn’t responding. 

Cartman’s scent… was suddenly all he could think about. 

As soon as he noticed it, his stomach dropped and a warmth rushed through his body, starting at his cheeks. A feeling, or more like multiple feelings came rushing through him and he was torn. On one hand he wanted to run. He wanted to dash in any opposite direction and hide in whatever hole he could find as fast as possible. On the other hand, the much more _disturbing_ hand… he wanted _more_ of it. He wanted to walk forward and sniff his neck, to get up close, to pull him down, to get _closer_ , so he could… 

“Uh…” Kyle blinked. Could… what? What the fuck was he thinking? For once he didn’t know what to do, actually couldn’t even do _anything_ as he was just frozen in place staring at Cartman dumbly until the brunet snapped his fingers in front of his face. 

“Hellooo? Kyle?” The redhead broke through his hazy thoughts and suddenly started grasping for an excuse. Between wanting to run and wanting to get all over him, Kyle would gladly choose the former. “I think I broke him.” 

“Kyle? Are you okay?” Stan asked, getting closer with an outstretched hand and Kyle panicked. He wanted _more_ space, not less! 

“Laptop!” He squeaked and the three alphas all looked down at him questioningly. “I forgot my laptop in my car! I-I gotta go get it!” 

“Okay… we’ll wait here I g-” Kenny started but Kyle quickly cut him off. 

“No! No, I um- I parked really far away cause I- I didn’t know where the entrance was so you all just- just uh go. Go on, I’ll find my own way to class!” Without waiting for a response, he turned and dashed for the sidewalk, holding a hand over his mouth when he got around the corner and was out of sight of his friends. 

He hurried passed the few other students walking through the parking lot and giving him concerned looks before fumbling with his keys to unlock his car and get in, tossing his backpack haphazardly in the backseat. He curled up in his seat, knees coming up to the steering wheel as he held his face in his hands, running them up into his hair and subsequently taking off his hat which he tossed to the passenger seat. Suddenly, he was _much_ hotter than he was before and the head covering was more of an annoyance than a comfort at the moment. In fact all his clothes were annoying so he sat up, racing to take off his jacket and toss it aside before going for his shirt next- but right as he was about to pull the stupid thing over his head, a thought hit him. 

Wasn't this the beginning signs of heat? 

“No…” He stopped what he was doing and looked around hesitantly, his hands shaking as he felt dread and- and something _else_ burn in his abdomen. “No- n-no no _no…_ ”

 _What do I do?_ He thought, clenching and unclenching the steering wheel, not knowing what to do with his hands. _What did she say I should- Suppressors!_ Maybe there were some in his backpack that would hold it off until he got home. Yes, there's a plan! 

He opened the drivers side door and shakily exited the car only for his legs to give out on him as soon as he tried standing on the asphalt. He managed to catch himself on the left rear view mirror before whimpering a bit and urging his quivering legs to hold him up for just a moment as he shakily opened the door to the backseat and got in, going through his backpack with frantic desperation. 

“No… no no no- _please!”_

He couldn’t find any. He’d left the damn things on his nightstand- _why_ didn’t he take any with him? Not a _single_ pill!

Also… why weren’t the ones he’d taken that morning _working?!_ They were supposed to be good for at least ten hours! Maybe they weren’t strong enough? Why was he going into heat? Why was there suddenly a hot flame in his stomach and a tight pain in his hips? 

He remembered the redness of his skin, the itchiness of his clothes, the overall discomfort that came as soon as he left his house, the way he’d almost been able to get himself under control _until-_

Until he smelled Cartman’s pheromones. 

He whined out loud, the sound wanton and high in his throat and curled up in the backseat, holding his stomach which twisted with pain and something hot and needy. In that moment all he could do was whimper and whine and desperately try to hold himself together but it was a fruitless venture. Eventually all rational thought would leave him, but for that moment all he could do was hopelessly beg to anyone listening. 

“Someone… please help…” 

~~0~~

 _I’m not supposed to be here,_ Eric thought grumpily as a big yawn ripped through his body and he wiped the resulting tears out of his eyes. 

He'd specifically signed up for afternoon and evening classes so he could deal with work before school and make sure everything was stocked for the night but, unfortunately, he had lagged on signing up for English and there were only morning classes left for him to pick from for the subject. 

Henrietta would have to deal with this morning's shipment alone. He was sure she could handle it, but he would much rather be there himself to talk to their supplier rather than sit here and listen to a teacher inadequately fill their heads with unimportant answers to unimportant questions. Seriously, when was he ever going to write essays or do writing analysis in real life? He was already running a successful business and he didn’t have to do any of that shit, just know the right people. 

He was ready to settle in for an hour of absolute boredom but then the teacher threw him a curveball during roll call. 

“Kyle Broflovski?” 

Eric perked up at the name and glanced around the classroom. He didn’t know he and Kyle had the same English class first thing in the morning. He hadn’t really been expecting to have a class in the morning at all, actually, much less one with the green eyed omega. 

But speaking of which, where the hell was that Jew? The redhead had taken one look at him at the front of the building and dashed before any of them could ask what was up, looking like he was about to puke. Stan had almost gone after him but had instead opted to wait and see if he actually _did_ come back at which point Cartman and Kenny had gone off to their respective classes and told him not to be late. Evidently, Kyle never _did_ come back as he was nowhere to be seen and the teacher sighed in disappointment before moving on without a beat. 

He thought back on the omegas behavior and his alpha growled with worry inside him. He’d been able to smell Kyle a good _minute_ before he first spotted him from the parking lot and he wondered how the hell he thought he could go to school pouring that many pheromones into the air without even noticing. Also… his scent was almost impossibly _sweeter_ than he remembered from the night before and just thinking about it had him nearly drooling... but then, why had he acted that way? It wasn’t the first time Eric had spooked the boy but the alpha could recall very few times where he’d scared the fiery kid and not gotten hit for it. This time wasn’t even intentional, too. 

And that look on his face was nothing like what he expected. He looked tired but also pretty red in the face, like the cold had really gotten to him that morning even though Eric would call it one of the warmer snowy days of the season. And his expression; absolutely shocked, like the world had stopped turning for a second and he didn’t know whether to be scared or excited. 

But… wait a minute… sweet scent, red face, jumpy and that _look_ in his eyes… was he…?

Eric’s hand shot up and the teacher noticed his knee jerk reaction immediately. 

“Yes? Question?” Eric hesitated for a moment to think of a lie. 

“I gotta go to the office.” 

“For?”

“I left some work at home and a friend brought it for me.” 

The woman rolled her eyes a little but motioned towards the door with an obliging smile. She was obviously one of the more laid back ones and Eric would remember that. “Alright, be quick. We’re about to start a new project and today’s the day we look at the overview and assign partners.” 

_Yeah yeah yeah, whatever, I’ve got places to be,_ the brunet thought as he quickly scooped up his backpack and hurried out of the room. 

Kyle was in heat. It was the only logical explanation. 

It’s why he couldn’t control his pheromones, why his scent was so damn alluring to the point it had him _salivating_. It was so strong he was surprised he and everyone else had managed to resist it last night- in fact he was _furious_ it had only taken him until _that moment_ to realize it himself. Kyle had most likely been in the pre-heat stage so none of them would have possibly been able to tell it differently from his normal scent, it was everyone's first time smelling him after all! All these thoughts had him moving faster through the quiet halls and out the front doors. 

But as he strode out the main entrance and looked over the sea of cars in the parking lot he wondered, just what the hell was he in a hurry for? What was he trying to _do?_

 _I just want to check that he went home,_ he thought. _If he really is… I just gotta check._

His inner alpha was growling at the thought of his pheromones reaching another alpha other than him, of the redhead he was hopelessly attracted to falling eagerly into the hands of some random who couldn’t control themselves and then they’d end up fucking, most likely against both their wills. He’d seen it before, the ways omegas and alphas affected each other without intention and the pain and regret that followed. He just wanted to make sure he was _gone,_ that he was nowhere near here, that he was tucked away in his apartment like all omegas _should_ be when they’re at their most vulnerable. 

And then he turned the corner and saw his car. 

His brows drew down into a furious expression and he looked quickly around the parking lot, finding it empty of people as he approached the dark blue honda cr-v. He was barely a few meters away when he stopped in his tracks, the pheromones hitting him. It wasn’t as strong, pretty faint but still there and Eric growled out loud as he realized Kyle was _still in the fucking car_ and he was getting _worse._

He cursed through clenched teeth and turned around, putting his arms up with his fingers locked together behind his head. What was he supposed to _do?_ What the hell would be behind that door if he opened it? What would Kyle say? What would Kyle _want?_ Well he had a pretty good idea of what he would _want-_ but no, what would Kyle in a stable state of mind want?

He tried to imagine it, what Kyle would say. He’d probably scrunch up his nose and glare at him with everything he had before yelling- _“Take me home and leave me there, fatass!”_ Or maybe he’d want him to call his parents, but then what would _they_ do? Fuck him? He cringed and gagged at the thought, starting to pace a good ways away from the vehicle as he debated with himself. No, he should find a way to get him home. That’s what a good alpha would do. 

“No, a good alpha would find an omega to take care of this,” he said out loud to himself but his instincts were quick to debate him. 

_That’s what a good alpha would do for their omega._

He felt his eyes shine gold at the thought, pacing paused as he considered just walking away and calling up Butters to get Kyle out of there, just in _spite_ of that possessive and useless thought.

Just then, however, a muffled cry broke through his thoughts and he whipped around rapidly, startled by both the sound and his near immediate reaction to it. 

He started to close the gap between him and the car before he could think to do otherwise. Kyle was in pain, _unimaginable_ pain, and he needed to leave _now_ before someone else found him and potentially did something they would regret. Being alone, in public and in heat was every omegas _worst_ nightmare and for all he knew… this could be Kyle’s first one. 

He reached the car and grabbed the handle, not even bothering to look in before opening the door and regretting it _immediately_ as a thick wave of pheromones poured out of the opening and his free hand shot up to grab the threshold of the open car door, gripping it hard enough he thought he would leave an indent in the metal. 

_“Please ngh-_ _help...”_

Yeah. 

Kyle was definitely in heat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EKAHJGFAJGLKAF I'M SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER ILL TRY TO FINISH 9 AND GET 8 UPLOADED ASAP QWQ  
> Also, sorry I've been gone for two months! I promise I'm still working on this, I just hit a bit of writers block and dipped into another fandom for a bit :P This and the next chapter are gonna be a few thousand words shorter than the last few but! Progress is still being made!  
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos, I really love hearing your thoughts!!! <33

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! <3


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